Literacy rates among adults in Rwanda
Rwanda: Literacy rates among adults was 78.8% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Literacy rates among adults in Rwanda, 1978–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2022, literacy rates among adults in Rwanda stood at 78.8%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.6% on the previous year and up 15.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rates among adults in Rwanda peaked at 80.0% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 38.2%, in 1978.
That places Rwanda 60th out of 89 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 38.2% | 38.2% | 38.2% | 1 |
| 1990s | 57.9% | 57.9% | 57.9% | 1 |
| 2000s | 64.9% | 64.9% | 64.9% | 1 |
| 2010s | 70.8% | 68.3% | 73.2% | 3 |
| 2020s | 79.4% | 78.8% | 80.0% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Rwanda
More education data for Rwanda
- Duration of pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 59.0% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 37.0% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 149.6% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 68,326 (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 3.65 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 146.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rates among adults in Rwanda?
- Literacy rates among adults in Rwanda was 78.8% 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 Rwanda?
- The highest recorded value was 80.0% in 2020.
- What is the lowest literacy rates among adults recorded in Rwanda?
- The lowest recorded value was 38.2% in 1978.
- How does Rwanda rank for literacy rates among adults?
- Rwanda ranks 60th out of 89 countries with data for 2022.
- Is literacy rates among adults rising or falling in Rwanda?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Rwanda 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.