Literacy rate, youth female in Africa Western and Central
Africa Western and Central: Literacy rate, youth female was 66.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, youth female in Africa Western and Central, 1985–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of females ages 15-24.
Analysis
In 2024, literacy rate, youth female in Africa Western and Central stood at 66.7%. That is the highest value across all 40 years on record.
The figure is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 12.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, youth female in Africa Western and Central peaked at 66.7% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 44.6%, in 1985.
That places Africa Western and Central 40th out of 40 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 40 years of available data.
Literacy rate, youth female in Africa Western and Central, year by year
| Year | % of females ages 15-24 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 44.6% | — |
| 1986 | 45.0% | +0.7% |
| 1987 | 45.9% | +2.2% |
| 1988 | 46.6% | +1.4% |
| 1989 | 47.6% | +2.2% |
| 1990 | 48.6% | +2.1% |
| 1991 | 49.5% | +2.0% |
| 1992 | 50.5% | +2.0% |
| 1993 | 51.5% | +2.0% |
| 1994 | 52.7% | +2.3% |
| 1995 | 52.7% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 53.9% | +2.2% |
| 1997 | 55.0% | +2.2% |
| 1998 | 56.4% | +2.5% |
| 1999 | 57.2% | +1.5% |
| 2000 | 50.4% | -11.9% |
| 2001 | 52.0% | +3.1% |
| 2002 | 52.9% | +1.7% |
| 2003 | 53.6% | +1.5% |
| 2004 | 54.9% | +2.4% |
| 2005 | 55.1% | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 56.1% | +1.9% |
| 2007 | 54.1% | -3.5% |
| 2008 | 54.5% | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 54.2% | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 55.1% | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 56.7% | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 57.3% | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 58.3% | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 59.5% | +2.1% |
| 2015 | 60.8% | +2.2% |
| 2016 | 61.7% | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 62.9% | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 65.5% | +4.2% |
| 2019 | 65.3% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 65.4% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 65.8% | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 66.2% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 66.5% | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 66.7% | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 45.9% | 44.6% | 47.6% | 5 |
| 1990s | 52.8% | 48.6% | 57.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 53.8% | 50.4% | 56.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 60.3% | 55.1% | 65.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 66.1% | 65.4% | 66.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Africa Western and Central
More education data for Africa Western and Central
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 2.08 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 35.36 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 75.77 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.9058 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1455 units per person (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 56.1% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 40.9% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, youth female in Africa Western and Central?
- Literacy rate, youth female in Africa Western and Central was 66.7% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, youth female recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The highest recorded value was 66.7% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, youth female recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The lowest recorded value was 44.6% in 1985.
- How does Africa Western and Central rank for literacy rate, youth female?
- Africa Western and Central ranks 40th out of 40 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, youth female rising or falling in Africa Western and Central?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Africa Western and Central data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Literacy rate, youth female (% of females ages 15-24). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Youth literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15-24 who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.