Literacy in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Literacy was 68.5 in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
68.5
Change on year
up 4.3%
World rank
75th
of 89 countries
All-time high
77.04
in 2016
All-time low
65.68
in 2020
Years of data
6
2001–2023
Literacy in Democratic Republic of Congo, 2001–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Democratic Republic of Congo recorded 68.5 for literacy in 2023.
That represents a change of up 4.3% on the previous year and down 8.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 77.04 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 65.68, in 2020.
Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 75th of 89 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Literacy in Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 67.17 | — |
| 2012 | 75.02 | +11.7% |
| 2016 | 77.04 | +2.7% |
| 2018 | 73.55 | -4.5% |
| 2020 | 65.68 | -10.7% |
| 2023 | 68.5 | +4.3% |
Democratic Republic of Congo compared with similar countries
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 68.5 is above the median for low income countries, which is 60.46, 1.1× the median. (13 countries reporting)
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 68.5 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 70.87, 97% of the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 67.17 | 67.17 | 67.17 | 1 |
| 2010s | 75.2 | 73.55 | 77.04 | 3 |
| 2020s | 67.09 | 65.68 | 68.5 | 2 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
More education data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 33.69 (1999)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 34.65 (1999)
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 621,578 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 1.99 million (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 410,532 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 427,300 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 7.93 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 21.15 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 7.35 % change on previous year (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Literacy in Democratic Republic of Congo was 68.5 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest literacy recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 77.04 in 2016.
- What is the lowest literacy recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 65.68 in 2020.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for literacy?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 75th out of 89 countries with data for 2023.
- Is literacy rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Literacy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 6 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).