Youth/adult literacy rate in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Youth/adult literacy rate was 84.7% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Latest (2022)
84.7%
Change on year
up 7.1%
World rank
49th
of 57 countries
All-time high
84.7%
in 2022
All-time low
49.9%
in 2004
Years of data
5
2004–2022
Youth/adult literacy rate in Ethiopia, 2004–2022
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
Ethiopia recorded 84.7% for youth/adult literacy rate in 2022. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.
The figure is up 7.1% on the previous year and up 18.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, youth/adult literacy rate in Ethiopia peaked at 84.7% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 49.9%, in 2004.
That places Ethiopia 49th out of 57 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Youth/adult literacy rate in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 49.9% | — |
| 2007 | 55.0% | +10.2% |
| 2016 | 71.8% | +30.6% |
| 2019 | 79.0% | +10.1% |
| 2022 | 84.7% | +7.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 52.4% | 49.9% | 55.0% | 2 |
| 2010s | 75.4% | 71.8% | 79.0% | 2 |
| 2020s | 84.7% | 84.7% | 84.7% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
More education data for Ethiopia
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 15.93 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.45 % 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 0.1206 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 15.93 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 2.45 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per capita 0.1206 units per person (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 7.55 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is youth/adult literacy rate in Ethiopia?
- Youth/adult literacy rate in Ethiopia was 84.7% in 2022, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest youth/adult literacy rate recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 84.7% in 2022.
- What is the lowest youth/adult literacy rate recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 49.9% in 2004.
- How does Ethiopia rank for youth/adult literacy rate?
- Ethiopia ranks 49th out of 57 countries with data for 2022.
- Is youth/adult literacy rate rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ethiopia data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Youth/adult literacy rate (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).