Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female was 21.4% in 2019. ▲ Rising
Latest (2019)
21.4%
Change on year
down 21.8%
World rank
84th
of 88 countries
All-time high
28.6%
in 2015
All-time low
19.1%
in 2004
Years of data
6
2004–2019
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Sierra Leone, 2004–2019
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Sierra Leone recorded 21.4% for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in 2019.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 21.8% on the previous year and up 11.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Sierra Leone peaked at 28.6% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 19.1%, in 2004.
Sierra Leone ranks 84th of 88 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 19.1% | — |
| 2014 | 21.9% | +14.6% |
| 2015 | 28.6% | +30.8% |
| 2017 | 22.1% | -22.7% |
| 2018 | 27.3% | +23.5% |
| 2019 | 21.4% | -21.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 19.1% | 19.1% | 19.1% | 1 |
| 2010s | 24.3% | 21.4% | 28.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
More education data for Sierra Leone
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.16 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 19.82 % change on previous year (2021)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 46,575 (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 1.23 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 609,235 (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 20.8 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 553,045 (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 18.85 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 178,431 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 4 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Sierra Leone?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Sierra Leone was 21.4% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 28.6% in 2015.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.1% in 2004.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female?
- Sierra Leone ranks 84th out of 88 countries with data for 2019.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sierra Leone 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.
Download this data
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