Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%) (rate female) in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%) (rate female) was 47.7% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Democratic Republic of Congo, 2001–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Democratic Republic of Congo stood at 47.7%. That is the lowest value across all 6 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.5% on the previous year and down 19.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 62.7% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 47.7%, in 2023.
Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 74th of 88 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%) (rate female) in Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 51.3% | — |
| 2012 | 59.1% | +15.1% |
| 2016 | 62.7% | +6.2% |
| 2018 | 55.4% | -11.7% |
| 2020 | 51.1% | -7.8% |
| 2023 | 47.7% | -6.5% |
Democratic Republic of Congo compared with similar countries
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 47.7% is above the median for low income countries, which is 37.2%, 1.3× the median. (13 countries reporting)
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 47.7% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 57.8%, 83% of the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 51.3% | 51.3% | 51.3% | 1 |
| 2010s | 59.1% | 55.4% | 62.7% | 3 |
| 2020s | 49.4% | 47.7% | 51.1% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
More education data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 621,578 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 1.99 million (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 410,532 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 427,300 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 7.93 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 21.15 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 7.35 % change on previous year (2021)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1999 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Democratic Republic of Congo was 47.7% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 62.7% in 2016.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 47.7% in 2023.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 74th out of 88 countries with data for 2023.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo 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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CSV · JSON — 6 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release