Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male (%) (rate male) in Benin
Benin: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male (%) (rate male) was 58.2% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Benin, 1979–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2022, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Benin stood at 58.2%. That is the highest value across all 9 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 12.6% on the previous year and up 15.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Benin peaked at 58.2% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 19.5%, in 1979.
That places Benin 81st out of 88 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male (%) (rate male) in Benin, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 19.5% | — |
| 1992 | 35.8% | +83.6% |
| 2002 | 45.5% | +27.1% |
| 2011 | 50.2% | +10.3% |
| 2013 | 50.7% | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 47.4% | -6.4% |
| 2019 | 55.9% | +17.9% |
| 2021 | 51.7% | -7.6% |
| 2022 | 58.2% | +12.6% |
Benin compared with similar countries
- Benin's 58.2% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 83.7%, 70% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
- Benin's 58.2% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 77.8%, 75% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 19.5% | 19.5% | 19.5% | 1 |
| 1990s | 35.8% | 35.8% | 35.8% | 1 |
| 2000s | 45.5% | 45.5% | 45.5% | 1 |
| 2010s | 51.0% | 47.4% | 55.9% | 4 |
| 2020s | 54.9% | 51.7% | 58.2% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Benin
- 78 Ethiopia 65.3% compare
- 79 Cote d'Ivoire 63.6% compare
- 80 Senegal 60.2% compare
- 82 Guinea 50.9% compare
- 83 Sierra Leone 48.0% compare
- 84 Afghanistan 43.2% compare
More education data for Benin
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 57,296 (2022)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 209,295 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 85,495 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 84,746 (2022)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 929,099 (2022)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.40 million (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 5.18 % change on previous year (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1743 units per person (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Benin?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Benin was 58.2% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 58.2% in 2022.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.5% in 1979.
- How does Benin rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male?
- Benin ranks 81st out of 88 countries with data for 2022.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Benin data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release