Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, % female in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa
UIS: Sub-saharan Africa: Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, % female was 56.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
56.0%
Change on year
unchanged
Rank
57th
of 204 groups
All-time high
61.0%
in 1984
All-time low
56.0%
in 2020
Years of data
41
1984–2024
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, % female in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa, 1984–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, % female in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa stood at 56.0%. That is the lowest value across all 41 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, % female in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 61.0% in 1984 and was at its lowest, 56.0%, in 2020.
UIS: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 57th of 204 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 41 years of available data.
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, % female in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 61.0% | — |
| 1985 | 61.0% | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 61.0% | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 61.0% | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 61.0% | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 61.0% | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 60.0% | -1.6% |
| 1991 | 60.0% | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 60.0% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 59.0% | -1.7% |
| 1994 | 59.0% | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 59.0% | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 58.0% | -1.7% |
| 1997 | 58.0% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 58.0% | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 58.0% | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 59.0% | +1.7% |
| 2001 | 58.0% | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 60.0% | +3.4% |
| 2003 | 60.0% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 60.0% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 59.0% | -1.7% |
| 2006 | 60.0% | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 59.0% | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 59.0% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 59.0% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 59.0% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 59.0% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 59.0% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 59.0% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 58.0% | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 58.0% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 57.0% | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 57.0% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 57.0% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 57.0% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 56.0% | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 56.0% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 56.0% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 56.0% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 56.0% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 61.0% | 61.0% | 61.0% | 6 |
| 1990s | 58.9% | 58.0% | 60.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 59.3% | 58.0% | 60.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 58.0% | 57.0% | 59.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 56.0% | 56.0% | 56.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near UIS: Sub-saharan Africa
More education data for UIS: Sub-saharan Africa
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 9.73 million (2021)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.7518 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 37.39 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.61 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 40.73 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.23 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 25.04 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 1.63 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 3.6 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 4.53 % change on previous year (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, % female in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, % female in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa was 56.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, % female recorded in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 61.0% in 1984.
- What is the lowest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, % female recorded in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 56.0% in 2020.
- How does UIS: Sub-saharan Africa rank for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, % female?
- UIS: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 57th out of 204 groups with data for 2024.
- Is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, % female rising or falling in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this UIS: Sub-saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, % female. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release