Literacy rates among adults in Mozambique
Mozambique: Literacy rates among adults was 61.7% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Literacy rates among adults in Mozambique, 1980–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Mozambique recorded 61.7% for literacy rates among adults in 2022. That is the highest value across all 8 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.2% on the previous year and up 21.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rates among adults in Mozambique peaked at 61.7% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 27.0%, in 1980.
That places Mozambique 77th out of 89 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Literacy rates among adults in Mozambique, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 27.0% | — |
| 1997 | 38.7% | +43.4% |
| 2003 | 48.2% | +24.4% |
| 2009 | 50.6% | +5.0% |
| 2015 | 56.0% | +10.8% |
| 2017 | 60.7% | +8.2% |
| 2020 | 59.8% | -1.5% |
| 2022 | 61.7% | +3.2% |
Mozambique compared with similar countries
- Mozambique's 61.7% is above the median for low income countries, which is 60.5%, 1.0× the median. (13 countries reporting)
- Mozambique's 61.7% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 70.9%, 87% of the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 27.0% | 27.0% | 27.0% | 1 |
| 1990s | 38.7% | 38.7% | 38.7% | 1 |
| 2000s | 49.4% | 48.2% | 50.6% | 2 |
| 2010s | 58.3% | 56.0% | 60.7% | 2 |
| 2020s | 60.7% | 59.8% | 61.7% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Mozambique
More education data for Mozambique
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 33,281 (2017)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 278,480 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 24,278 (1986)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 20,822 (1986)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.07 million (2017)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 7.66 million (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 4.4 % change on previous year (2020)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0004 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.2344 units per person (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rates among adults in Mozambique?
- Literacy rates among adults in Mozambique was 61.7% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest literacy rates among adults recorded in Mozambique?
- The highest recorded value was 61.7% in 2022.
- What is the lowest literacy rates among adults recorded in Mozambique?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.0% in 1980.
- How does Mozambique rank for literacy rates among adults?
- Mozambique ranks 77th out of 89 countries with data for 2022.
- Is literacy rates among adults rising or falling in Mozambique?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Mozambique data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Literacy rates among adults. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the population aged 15 years and older who can read and write.