Literacy rates among adults in Senegal
Senegal: Literacy rates among adults was 50.4% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Literacy rates among adults in Senegal, 1988–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Senegal recorded 50.4% for literacy rates among adults in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 15.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rates among adults in Senegal peaked at 51.9% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 26.9%, in 1988.
That places Senegal 81st out of 89 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.
Literacy rates among adults in Senegal, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 26.9% | — |
| 2002 | 39.3% | +46.2% |
| 2006 | 41.9% | +6.6% |
| 2009 | 48.0% | +14.7% |
| 2011 | 51.8% | +7.8% |
| 2013 | 43.5% | -16.0% |
| 2015 | 43.6% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 46.1% | +5.8% |
| 2017 | 51.9% | +12.6% |
| 2018 | 46.6% | -10.2% |
| 2019 | 46.8% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 50.4% | +7.5% |
Senegal compared with similar countries
- Senegal's 50.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 78.2%, 64% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
- Senegal's 50.4% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 70.9%, 71% of the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 26.9% | 26.9% | 26.9% | 1 |
| 2000s | 43.1% | 39.3% | 48.0% | 3 |
| 2010s | 47.2% | 43.5% | 51.9% | 7 |
| 2020s | 50.4% | 50.4% | 50.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Senegal
- 78 Ethiopia 60.5% compare
- 79 Pakistan 58.9% compare
- 80 Benin 51.4% compare
- 82 Cote d'Ivoire 50.0% compare
- 83 Sierra Leone 43.6% compare
- 84 Burkina Faso 41.6% compare
More education data for Senegal
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 55,703 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 64,252 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 162,919 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 181,550 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.28 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.35 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.4401 % 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 0.127 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rates among adults in Senegal?
- Literacy rates among adults in Senegal was 50.4% 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 Senegal?
- The highest recorded value was 51.9% in 2017.
- What is the lowest literacy rates among adults recorded in Senegal?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.9% in 1988.
- How does Senegal rank for literacy rates among adults?
- Senegal ranks 81st out of 89 countries with data for 2023.
- Is literacy rates among adults rising or falling in Senegal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Senegal 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.