Literacy rates among adults in Tanzania
Tanzania: Literacy rates among adults was 78.2% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Literacy rates among adults in Tanzania, 1988–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for literacy rates among adults in Tanzania is 78.2%, measured in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.9% on the previous year and up 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rates among adults in Tanzania peaked at 82.2% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 59.1%, in 1988.
That places Tanzania 61st out of 89 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 59.1% | 59.1% | 59.1% | 1 |
| 2000s | 69.4% | 69.4% | 69.4% | 1 |
| 2010s | 78.6% | 77.9% | 79.9% | 3 |
| 2020s | 80.2% | 78.2% | 82.2% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Tanzania
More education data for Tanzania
- Duration of pre-primary education 1 years (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 6 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 54.6% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 42.3% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 14 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 7 years (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 92.7% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 229,840 (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 4.54 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 95.3% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rates among adults in Tanzania?
- Literacy rates among adults in Tanzania was 78.2% 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 Tanzania?
- The highest recorded value was 82.2% in 2020.
- What is the lowest literacy rates among adults recorded in Tanzania?
- The lowest recorded value was 59.1% in 1988.
- How does Tanzania rank for literacy rates among adults?
- Tanzania ranks 61st out of 89 countries with data for 2022.
- Is literacy rates among adults rising or falling in Tanzania?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Tanzania 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.