Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Burundi

Burundi: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female was 57.9% in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
57.9%
Change on year
up 11.4%
World rank
70th
of 88 countries
All-time high
57.9%
in 2020
All-time low
7.1%
in 1979
Years of data
8
1979–2020

Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Burundi, 1979–2020

02040601979199920201979: 7.1 %1990: 19.6 %2000: 43.2 %2008: 35.3 %2014: 46.5 %2016: 51.7 %2017: 52 %2020: 57.9 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

Burundi recorded 57.9% for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in 2020. That is the highest value across all 8 years on record.

That represents a change of up 11.4% on the previous year and up 64.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Burundi peaked at 57.9% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 7.1%, in 1979.

That places Burundi 70th out of 88 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Burundi, year by year

Annual values for Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%) in Burundi, 1979 to 2020.
Year % Change
1979 7.1%
1990 19.6% +174.4%
2000 43.2% +120.4%
2008 35.3% -18.3%
2014 46.5% +31.7%
2016 51.7% +11.3%
2017 52.0% +0.6%
2020 57.9% +11.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 7.1% 7.1% 7.1% 1
1990s 19.6% 19.6% 19.6% 1
2000s 39.2% 35.3% 43.2% 2
2010s 50.0% 46.5% 52.0% 3
2020s 57.9% 57.9% 57.9% 1

Countries ranked near Burundi

  1. 67 Zambia 61.4% compare
  2. 68 Malawi 59.3% compare
  3. 69 Nigeria 58.1% compare
  4. 71 Ghana 57.7% compare
  5. 72 Togo 57.0% compare
  6. 73 Nepal 54.2% compare

See the full ranking of 291 places →

More education data for Burundi

All data for Burundi →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Burundi?
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Burundi was 57.9% in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in Burundi?
The highest recorded value was 57.9% in 2020.
What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in Burundi?
The lowest recorded value was 7.1% in 1979.
How does Burundi rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female?
Burundi ranks 70th out of 88 countries with data for 2020.
Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female rising or falling in Burundi?
Over the last ten years it is up 64.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Burundi data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Burundi. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-population-25-64-years-female-percent-2/burundi/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
291 places, 9,624 data points, 1970–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release