Literacy rate, youth total in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: Literacy rate, youth total was 62.8% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, youth total in Burkina Faso, 1975–2022
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 Burkina Faso is 62.8%, measured in 2022. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 68.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, youth total in Burkina Faso peaked at 62.8% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 14.4%, in 1975.
That places Burkina Faso 90th out of 95 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.
Literacy rate, youth total in Burkina Faso, year by year
| Year | % of people ages 15-24 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 14.4% | — |
| 1991 | 20.2% | +40.3% |
| 1996 | 19.4% | -3.8% |
| 2003 | 31.2% | +60.9% |
| 2005 | 33.0% | +5.6% |
| 2006 | 32.7% | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 39.3% | +20.0% |
| 2010 | 37.2% | -5.3% |
| 2014 | 50.1% | +34.7% |
| 2018 | 58.9% | +17.5% |
| 2019 | 47.0% | -20.1% |
| 2021 | 62.7% | +33.2% |
| 2022 | 62.8% | +0.2% |
Burkina Faso compared with similar countries
- Burkina Faso's 62.8% is below the median for low income countries, which is 72.2%, 87% of the median. (14 countries reporting)
- Burkina Faso's 62.8% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 81.9%, 77% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 14.4% | 14.4% | 14.4% | 1 |
| 1990s | 19.8% | 19.4% | 20.2% | 2 |
| 2000s | 34.0% | 31.2% | 39.3% | 4 |
| 2010s | 48.3% | 37.2% | 58.9% | 4 |
| 2020s | 62.7% | 62.7% | 62.8% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Burkina Faso
More education data for Burkina Faso
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 68,557 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 105,439 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 78,072 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 75,598 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.19 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.07 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 8.2 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1303 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, youth total in Burkina Faso?
- Literacy rate, youth total in Burkina Faso was 62.8% in 2022, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, youth total recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The highest recorded value was 62.8% in 2022.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, youth total recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.4% in 1975.
- How does Burkina Faso rank for literacy rate, youth total?
- Burkina Faso ranks 90th out of 95 countries with data for 2022.
- Is literacy rate, youth total rising or falling in Burkina Faso?
- Over the last ten years it is up 68.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Burkina Faso 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.