Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024

GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female was 54.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
54.9%
Change on year
up 0.7%
Rank
179th
of 203 groups
All-time high
54.9%
in 2024
All-time low
27.9%
in 1986
Years of data
39
1986–2024

Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024, 1986–2024

02040601986200520241986: 27.9 %1987: 28.6 %1988: 29.2 %1989: 29.8 %1990: 30.6 %1991: 31.4 %1992: 32.1 %1993: 32.8 %1994: 33.6 %1995: 34.4 %1996: 35.4 %1997: 36.6 %1998: 37.7 %1999: 38.7 %2000: 37.7 %2001: 38.8 %2002: 39 %2003: 39.9 %2004: 40.6 %2005: 40.4 %2006: 39.4 %2007: 39.5 %2008: 39.8 %2009: 40.2 %2010: 41.1 %2011: 43.1 %2012: 44.6 %2013: 45.7 %2014: 46.7 %2015: 47.5 %2016: 48.4 %2017: 49.8 %2018: 52.4 %2019: 52.7 %2020: 53 %2021: 53.5 %2022: 54 %2023: 54.5 %2024: 54.9 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024 is 54.9%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 39 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 17.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024 peaked at 54.9% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 27.9%, in 1986.

GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024 ranks 179th of 203 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 39 years of available data.

Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024, year by year

Annual values for Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%) in GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024, 1986 to 2024.
Year % Change
1986 27.9%
1987 28.6% +2.5%
1988 29.2% +2.3%
1989 29.8% +1.9%
1990 30.6% +2.6%
1991 31.4% +2.6%
1992 32.1% +2.4%
1993 32.8% +2.3%
1994 33.6% +2.3%
1995 34.4% +2.4%
1996 35.4% +2.7%
1997 36.6% +3.4%
1998 37.7% +3.0%
1999 38.7% +2.8%
2000 37.7% -2.8%
2001 38.8% +2.9%
2002 39.0% +0.5%
2003 39.9% +2.5%
2004 40.6% +1.7%
2005 40.4% -0.5%
2006 39.4% -2.5%
2007 39.5% +0.3%
2008 39.8% +0.9%
2009 40.2% +0.8%
2010 41.1% +2.3%
2011 43.1% +4.9%
2012 44.6% +3.4%
2013 45.7% +2.4%
2014 46.7% +2.1%
2015 47.5% +1.9%
2016 48.4% +1.9%
2017 49.8% +2.7%
2018 52.4% +5.2%
2019 52.7% +0.6%
2020 53.0% +0.6%
2021 53.5% +1.0%
2022 54.0% +0.9%
2023 54.5% +0.9%
2024 54.9% +0.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 28.9% 27.9% 29.8% 4
1990s 34.3% 30.6% 38.7% 10
2000s 39.5% 37.7% 40.6% 10
2010s 47.2% 41.1% 52.7% 10
2020s 54.0% 53.0% 54.9% 5

More education data for GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024

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Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024?
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024 was 54.9% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024?
The highest recorded value was 54.9% in 2024.
What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024?
The lowest recorded value was 27.9% in 1986.
How does GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024 rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female?
GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024 ranks 179th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female rising or falling in GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024?
Over the last ten years it is up 17.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024 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 GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-population-25-64-years-female-percent-2/gpe-sub-saharan-africa-wb-fy24-december-2024/

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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