Literacy rates among adults in Uganda
Uganda: Literacy rates among adults was 77.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rates among adults in Uganda, 1991–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, literacy rates among adults in Uganda stood at 77.0%.
The figure is down 4.3% on the previous year and up 12.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rates among adults in Uganda peaked at 80.5% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 56.1%, 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 rates among adults in Uganda, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 56.1% | — |
| 2002 | 68.1% | +21.4% |
| 2006 | 71.4% | +4.7% |
| 2010 | 73.2% | +2.6% |
| 2012 | 70.2% | -4.1% |
| 2014 | 68.5% | -2.4% |
| 2016 | 69.1% | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 79.0% | +14.4% |
| 2023 | 80.5% | +1.8% |
| 2024 | 77.0% | -4.3% |
Uganda compared with similar countries
- Uganda's 77.0% is above the median for low income countries, which is 60.5%, 1.3× the median. (13 countries reporting)
- Uganda's 77.0% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 70.9%, 1.1× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 56.1% | 56.1% | 56.1% | 1 |
| 2000s | 69.8% | 68.1% | 71.4% | 2 |
| 2010s | 70.3% | 68.5% | 73.2% | 4 |
| 2020s | 78.9% | 77.0% | 80.5% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Uganda
More education data for Uganda
- 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)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2017)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.22 units per person (2017)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rates among adults in Uganda?
- Literacy rates among adults in Uganda was 77.0% in 2024, 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 Uganda?
- The highest recorded value was 80.5% in 2023.
- What is the lowest literacy rates among adults recorded in Uganda?
- The lowest recorded value was 56.1% in 1991.
- How does Uganda rank for literacy rates among adults?
- Uganda ranks 63rd out of 89 countries with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rates among adults 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 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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CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the population aged 15 years and older who can read and write.