Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, female in UNICEF: West and Central Africa
UNICEF: West and Central Africa: Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, female was 70.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, female in UNICEF: West and Central Africa, 1985–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, female in UNICEF: West and Central Africa stood at 70.0%. That is the highest value across all 40 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 11.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, female in UNICEF: West and Central Africa peaked at 70.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 47.5%, in 1985.
UNICEF: West and Central Africa ranks 196th of 204 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 40 years of available data.
Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, female in UNICEF: West and Central Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 47.5% | — |
| 1986 | 47.8% | +0.6% |
| 1987 | 48.6% | +1.7% |
| 1988 | 49.2% | +1.1% |
| 1989 | 50.0% | +1.7% |
| 1990 | 50.9% | +1.7% |
| 1991 | 51.7% | +1.7% |
| 1992 | 52.5% | +1.6% |
| 1993 | 53.4% | +1.7% |
| 1994 | 54.4% | +1.9% |
| 1995 | 54.5% | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 55.4% | +1.7% |
| 1997 | 56.3% | +1.7% |
| 1998 | 57.5% | +2.0% |
| 1999 | 58.2% | +1.2% |
| 2000 | 52.3% | -10.1% |
| 2001 | 53.6% | +2.5% |
| 2002 | 54.3% | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 55.0% | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 56.0% | +1.9% |
| 2005 | 56.1% | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 55.6% | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 54.0% | -2.9% |
| 2008 | 54.5% | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 54.3% | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 55.1% | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 59.7% | +8.3% |
| 2012 | 60.4% | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 61.5% | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 62.8% | +2.1% |
| 2015 | 63.9% | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 64.7% | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 65.9% | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 68.3% | +3.7% |
| 2019 | 68.3% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 68.5% | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 69.0% | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 69.4% | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 69.7% | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 70.0% | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 48.7% | 47.5% | 50.0% | 5 |
| 1990s | 54.5% | 50.9% | 58.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 54.6% | 52.3% | 56.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 63.1% | 55.1% | 68.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 69.3% | 68.5% | 70.0% | 5 |
More education data for UNICEF: West and Central Africa
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 4.92 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 20.41 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.9224 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 22.91 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.5411 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 8.34 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 0.9535 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 5.20 million (2021)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.46 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 5.73 % change on previous year (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, female in UNICEF: West and Central Africa?
- Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, female in UNICEF: West and Central Africa was 70.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, female recorded in UNICEF: West and Central Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 70.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, female recorded in UNICEF: West and Central Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 47.5% in 1985.
- How does UNICEF: West and Central Africa rank for youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, female?
- UNICEF: West and Central Africa ranks 196th out of 204 groups with data for 2024.
- Is youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, female rising or falling in UNICEF: West and Central Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this UNICEF: West and Central Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release