Literacy in Uganda
Uganda: Literacy was 77.04 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
77.04
Change on year
down 4.3%
World rank
63rd
of 89 countries
All-time high
80.51
in 2023
All-time low
56.11
in 1991
Years of data
10
1991–2024
Literacy in Uganda, 1991–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2024, literacy in Uganda stood at 77.04.
The figure is down 4.3% on the previous year and up 12.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy in Uganda peaked at 80.51 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 56.11, in 1991.
Uganda ranks 63rd of 89 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 10 years of available data.
Literacy in Uganda, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 56.11 | — |
| 2002 | 68.14 | +21.4% |
| 2006 | 71.37 | +4.7% |
| 2010 | 73.21 | +2.6% |
| 2012 | 70.2 | -4.1% |
| 2014 | 68.51 | -2.4% |
| 2016 | 69.1 | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 79.05 | +14.4% |
| 2023 | 80.51 | +1.8% |
| 2024 | 77.04 | -4.3% |
Uganda compared with similar countries
- Uganda's 77.04 is above the median for low income countries, which is 60.46, 1.3× the median. (13 countries reporting)
- Uganda's 77.04 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 70.87, 1.1× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 56.11 | 56.11 | 56.11 | 1 |
| 2000s | 69.75 | 68.14 | 71.37 | 2 |
| 2010s | 70.25 | 68.51 | 73.21 | 4 |
| 2020s | 78.87 | 77.04 | 80.51 | 3 |
Countries ranked near Uganda
More education data for Uganda
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 96.58 (2013)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 95.88 (2013)
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 63,957 (2014)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 778,349 (2017)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 301,523 (2017)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 307,450 (2017)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.03 million (2007)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 8.84 million (2017)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.13 % change on previous year (2017)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy in Uganda?
- Literacy in Uganda was 77.04 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest literacy recorded in Uganda?
- The highest recorded value was 80.51 in 2023.
- What is the lowest literacy recorded in Uganda?
- The lowest recorded value was 56.11 in 1991.
- How does Uganda rank for literacy?
- Uganda ranks 63rd out of 89 countries with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rising or falling in Uganda?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Uganda data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Literacy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).