Literacy rate, youth total in Africa Western and Central
Africa Western and Central: Literacy rate, youth total was 72.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, youth total in Africa Western and Central, 1985–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of people ages 15-24.
Analysis
The most recent figure for literacy rate, youth total in Africa Western and Central is 72.5%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 40 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and up 8.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, youth total in Africa Western and Central peaked at 72.5% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 55.0%, 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 total in Africa Western and Central, year by year
| Year | % of people ages 15-24 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 55.0% | — |
| 1986 | 55.3% | +0.6% |
| 1987 | 56.0% | +1.3% |
| 1988 | 56.5% | +0.8% |
| 1989 | 57.2% | +1.3% |
| 1990 | 57.9% | +1.2% |
| 1991 | 58.6% | +1.1% |
| 1992 | 59.3% | +1.2% |
| 1993 | 60.0% | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 60.9% | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 60.5% | -0.7% |
| 1996 | 61.3% | +1.3% |
| 1997 | 62.1% | +1.4% |
| 1998 | 63.5% | +2.2% |
| 1999 | 64.1% | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 59.8% | -6.7% |
| 2001 | 61.0% | +2.1% |
| 2002 | 61.5% | +0.8% |
| 2003 | 61.8% | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 63.1% | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 63.2% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 63.8% | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 62.5% | -2.2% |
| 2008 | 62.5% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 62.5% | -0.0% |
| 2010 | 62.9% | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 64.0% | +1.8% |
| 2012 | 64.7% | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 65.7% | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 66.6% | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 67.6% | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 68.1% | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 69.2% | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 71.5% | +3.3% |
| 2019 | 71.2% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 71.3% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 71.7% | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 72.0% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 72.3% | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 72.5% | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 56.0% | 55.0% | 57.2% | 5 |
| 1990s | 60.8% | 57.9% | 64.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 62.2% | 59.8% | 63.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 67.1% | 62.9% | 71.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 72.0% | 71.3% | 72.5% | 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 total in Africa Western and Central?
- Literacy rate, youth total in Africa Western and Central was 72.5% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, youth total recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The highest recorded value was 72.5% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, youth total recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The lowest recorded value was 55.0% in 1985.
- How does Africa Western and Central rank for literacy rate, youth total?
- Africa Western and Central ranks 40th out of 40 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, youth total rising or falling in Africa Western and Central?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.9%. 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 total (% of people 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.