Literacy rates among adults in Namibia
Namibia: Literacy rates among adults was 87.6% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
87.6%
World rank
53rd
of 89 countries
All-time high
88.3%
in 2018
All-time low
75.8%
in 1991
Years of data
6
1991–2023
Literacy rates among adults in Namibia, 1991–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Namibia recorded 87.6% for literacy rates among adults in 2023.
That represents a change of down 0.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rates among adults in Namibia peaked at 88.3% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 75.8%, in 1991.
That places Namibia 53rd out of 89 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 75.8% | 75.8% | 75.8% | 1 |
| 2000s | 84.9% | 84.9% | 84.9% | 1 |
| 2010s | 88.2% | 88.1% | 88.3% | 3 |
| 2020s | 87.6% | 87.6% | 87.6% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Namibia
More education data for Namibia
- Duration of pre-primary education 2 years (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 5 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 59.6% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 36.7% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 14 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 7 years (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 120.7% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 21,240 (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 3.21 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 117.9% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rates among adults in Namibia?
- Literacy rates among adults in Namibia was 87.6% in 2023, 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 Namibia?
- The highest recorded value was 88.3% in 2018.
- What is the lowest literacy rates among adults recorded in Namibia?
- The lowest recorded value was 75.8% in 1991.
- How does Namibia rank for literacy rates among adults?
- Namibia ranks 53rd out of 89 countries with data for 2023.
- Is literacy rates among adults rising or falling in Namibia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Namibia 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.