Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in SDG: Northern Africa
SDG: Northern Africa: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female was 66.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
66.1%
Change on year
up 1.2%
Rank
133rd
of 203 groups
All-time high
66.1%
in 2024
All-time low
16.2%
in 1973
Years of data
52
1973–2024
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in SDG: Northern Africa, 1973–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
SDG: Northern Africa recorded 66.1% for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in 2024. That is the highest value across all 52 years on record.
The figure is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 10.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in SDG: Northern Africa peaked at 66.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 16.2%, in 1973.
That places SDG: Northern Africa 133rd out of 203 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 52 years of available data.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in SDG: Northern Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 16.2% | — |
| 1974 | 16.5% | +1.9% |
| 1975 | 16.8% | +1.8% |
| 1976 | 17.1% | +2.0% |
| 1977 | 17.5% | +2.1% |
| 1978 | 18.0% | +2.9% |
| 1979 | 18.5% | +3.1% |
| 1980 | 19.2% | +3.8% |
| 1981 | 20.0% | +3.8% |
| 1982 | 20.7% | +3.7% |
| 1983 | 20.9% | +1.2% |
| 1984 | 21.8% | +3.9% |
| 1985 | 22.6% | +4.0% |
| 1986 | 23.5% | +4.1% |
| 1987 | 24.6% | +4.3% |
| 1988 | 25.7% | +4.5% |
| 1989 | 26.8% | +4.5% |
| 1990 | 28.0% | +4.4% |
| 1991 | 29.3% | +4.5% |
| 1992 | 30.5% | +4.3% |
| 1993 | 31.6% | +3.5% |
| 1994 | 32.7% | +3.6% |
| 1995 | 33.9% | +3.5% |
| 1996 | 35.3% | +4.1% |
| 1997 | 36.7% | +4.1% |
| 1998 | 38.5% | +4.8% |
| 1999 | 39.9% | +3.7% |
| 2000 | 41.3% | +3.5% |
| 2001 | 42.9% | +3.8% |
| 2002 | 44.3% | +3.3% |
| 2003 | 48.7% | +9.9% |
| 2004 | 50.0% | +2.8% |
| 2005 | 51.2% | +2.3% |
| 2006 | 48.2% | -5.8% |
| 2007 | 49.0% | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 50.6% | +3.3% |
| 2009 | 52.5% | +3.7% |
| 2010 | 53.6% | +2.0% |
| 2011 | 57.3% | +7.1% |
| 2012 | 58.1% | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 60.0% | +3.3% |
| 2014 | 59.8% | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 61.0% | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 59.4% | -2.6% |
| 2017 | 60.6% | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 61.6% | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 62.4% | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 63.1% | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 63.8% | +1.2% |
| 2022 | 64.5% | +1.1% |
| 2023 | 65.3% | +1.1% |
| 2024 | 66.1% | +1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 17.2% | 16.2% | 18.5% | 7 |
| 1980s | 22.6% | 19.2% | 26.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 33.6% | 28.0% | 39.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 47.9% | 41.3% | 52.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 59.4% | 53.6% | 62.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 64.5% | 63.1% | 66.1% | 5 |
More education data for SDG: Northern Africa
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 26.17 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 4.36 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 12.91 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 4.66 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.30 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 3.99 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.47 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 33.17 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 1.18 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 13.26 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in SDG: Northern Africa?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in SDG: Northern Africa was 66.1% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in SDG: Northern Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 66.1% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in SDG: Northern Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.2% in 1973.
- How does SDG: Northern Africa rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female?
- SDG: Northern Africa ranks 133rd out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female rising or falling in SDG: Northern Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this SDG: Northern Africa 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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About this data
February 2026 Data Release