Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa
UIS: Sub-saharan Africa: Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes was 79.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa, 1984–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa stood at 79.2%. That is the highest value across all 41 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and up 5.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 79.2% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 61.8%, in 1984.
That places UIS: Sub-saharan Africa 164th out of 204 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 41 years of available data.
Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 61.8% | — |
| 1985 | 62.4% | +0.9% |
| 1986 | 62.7% | +0.6% |
| 1987 | 63.5% | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 63.8% | +0.6% |
| 1989 | 64.5% | +1.0% |
| 1990 | 65.2% | +1.0% |
| 1991 | 65.5% | +0.6% |
| 1992 | 65.6% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 65.9% | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 66.3% | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 66.4% | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 66.8% | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 67.3% | +0.8% |
| 1998 | 67.3% | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 68.1% | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 66.3% | -2.6% |
| 2001 | 66.9% | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 68.2% | +2.0% |
| 2003 | 68.4% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 69.0% | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 68.5% | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 68.4% | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 68.5% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 68.7% | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 69.1% | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 70.0% | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 72.1% | +3.0% |
| 2012 | 73.5% | +1.9% |
| 2013 | 74.5% | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 74.8% | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 75.4% | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 76.0% | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 76.5% | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 77.9% | +1.8% |
| 2019 | 78.1% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 78.3% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 78.5% | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 78.8% | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 79.0% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 79.2% | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 63.1% | 61.8% | 64.5% | 6 |
| 1990s | 66.4% | 65.2% | 68.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 68.2% | 66.3% | 69.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 74.9% | 70.0% | 78.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 78.7% | 78.3% | 79.2% | 5 |
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 literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa was 79.2% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 79.2% in 2024.
- What is the lowest youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 61.8% in 1984.
- How does UIS: Sub-saharan Africa rank for youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes?
- UIS: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 164th out of 204 groups with data for 2024.
- Is youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes rising or falling in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this UIS: Sub-saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release