Literacy rate, youth total in Benin

Benin: Literacy rate, youth total was 71.2% in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
71.2%
Change on year
up 9.1%
World rank
86th
of 95 countries
All-time high
71.2%
in 2022
All-time low
29.8%
in 1979
Years of data
10
1979–2022

Literacy rate, youth total in Benin, 1979–2022

0204060801979200020221979: 29.8 % of people ages 15-241992: 39.9 % of people ages 15-242001: 48 % of people ages 15-242002: 45.3 % of people ages 15-242006: 57.4 % of people ages 15-242013: 62.2 % of people ages 15-242017: 58.8 % of people ages 15-242019: 69.2 % of people ages 15-242021: 65.3 % of people ages 15-242022: 71.2 % of people ages 15-24

Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of people ages 15-24.

Analysis

In 2022, literacy rate, youth total in Benin stood at 71.2%. That is the highest value across all 10 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 9.1% on the previous year and up 14.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, youth total in Benin peaked at 71.2% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 29.8%, in 1979.

That places Benin 86th out of 95 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 10 years of available data.

Literacy rate, youth total in Benin, year by year

Annual values for Literacy rate, youth total (% of people ages 15-24) in Benin, 1979 to 2022.
Year % of people ages 15-24 Change
1979 29.8%
1992 39.9% +33.9%
2001 48.0% +20.3%
2002 45.3% -5.5%
2006 57.4% +26.6%
2013 62.2% +8.3%
2017 58.8% -5.4%
2019 69.2% +17.8%
2021 65.3% -5.7%
2022 71.2% +9.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 29.8% 29.8% 29.8% 1
1990s 39.9% 39.9% 39.9% 1
2000s 50.2% 45.3% 57.4% 3
2010s 63.4% 58.8% 69.2% 3
2020s 68.3% 65.3% 71.2% 2

Countries ranked near Benin

  1. 83 Pakistan 73.1% compare
  2. 84 Sierra Leone 73.0% compare
  3. 85 Mozambique 71.4% compare
  4. 87 Gambia 67.5% compare
  5. 88 Senegal 67.5% compare
  6. 89 Côte d'Ivoire 66.8% compare

See the full ranking of 135 places →

More education data for Benin

All data for Benin →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate, youth total in Benin?
Literacy rate, youth total in Benin was 71.2% in 2022, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest literacy rate, youth total recorded in Benin?
The highest recorded value was 71.2% in 2022.
What is the lowest literacy rate, youth total recorded in Benin?
The lowest recorded value was 29.8% in 1979.
How does Benin rank for literacy rate, youth total?
Benin ranks 86th out of 95 countries with data for 2022.
Is literacy rate, youth total rising or falling in Benin?
Over the last ten years it is up 14.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Benin 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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Literacy rate, youth total in Benin. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 12 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-youth-total-percent-of-people-ages-15-24/benin/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, youth total (% of people ages 15-24)
Unit
% of people ages 15-24
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
135 places, 2,762 data points, 1974–2024
Last refreshed

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.