Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%) (rate female) in Namibia
Namibia: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%) (rate female) was 89.1% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
89.1%
World rank
50th
of 88 countries
All-time high
89.7%
in 2018
All-time low
70.5%
in 1991
Years of data
6
1991–2023
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Namibia, 1991–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Namibia is 89.1%, measured in 2023.
The figure is up 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Namibia peaked at 89.7% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 70.5%, in 1991.
That places Namibia 50th out of 88 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%) (rate female) in Namibia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 70.5% | — |
| 2001 | 83.4% | +18.4% |
| 2011 | 89.0% | +6.7% |
| 2016 | 88.9% | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 89.7% | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 89.1% | -0.6% |
Namibia compared with similar countries
- Namibia's 89.1% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 68.5%, 1.3× the median. (30 countries reporting)
- Namibia's 89.1% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 57.8%, 1.5× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 70.5% | 70.5% | 70.5% | 1 |
| 2000s | 83.4% | 83.4% | 83.4% | 1 |
| 2010s | 89.2% | 88.9% | 89.7% | 3 |
| 2020s | 89.1% | 89.1% | 89.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Namibia
More education data for Namibia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 10,653 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 90,003 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 26,964 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 27,746 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 236,050 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 590,029 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 4.48 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1947 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Namibia?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Namibia was 89.1% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in Namibia?
- The highest recorded value was 89.7% in 2018.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in Namibia?
- The lowest recorded value was 70.5% in 1991.
- How does Namibia rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female?
- Namibia ranks 50th out of 88 countries with data for 2023.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female rising or falling in Namibia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Namibia 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