Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%) (rate female) in Senegal
Senegal: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%) (rate female) was 32.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Senegal, 1988–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Senegal recorded 32.9% for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 22.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Senegal peaked at 34.0% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 13.4%, in 1988.
That places Senegal 80th out of 88 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%) (rate female) in Senegal, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 13.4% | — |
| 2002 | 24.1% | +79.2% |
| 2006 | 28.3% | +17.6% |
| 2009 | 30.6% | +8.1% |
| 2011 | 34.0% | +10.9% |
| 2013 | 26.9% | -20.7% |
| 2015 | 27.4% | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 29.3% | +6.6% |
| 2017 | 29.3% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 32.7% | +11.4% |
| 2019 | 29.9% | -8.6% |
| 2023 | 32.9% | +10.2% |
Senegal compared with similar countries
- Senegal's 32.9% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 68.5%, 48% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
- Senegal's 32.9% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 57.8%, 57% of the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 13.4% | 13.4% | 13.4% | 1 |
| 2000s | 27.7% | 24.1% | 30.6% | 3 |
| 2010s | 29.9% | 26.9% | 34.0% | 7 |
| 2020s | 32.9% | 32.9% | 32.9% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Senegal
More education data for Senegal
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 55,703 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 64,252 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 162,919 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 181,550 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.28 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.35 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.4401 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.127 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Senegal?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Senegal was 32.9% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in Senegal?
- The highest recorded value was 34.0% in 2011.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in Senegal?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.4% in 1988.
- How does Senegal rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female?
- Senegal ranks 80th out of 88 countries with data for 2023.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female rising or falling in Senegal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 22.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Senegal 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 — 12 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release