Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, male in WB: Africa Western and Central
WB: Africa Western and Central: Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, male was 78.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, male in WB: Africa Western and Central, 1985–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
WB: Africa Western and Central recorded 78.2% for youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, male in 2024. That is the highest value across all 40 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and up 6.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, male in WB: Africa Western and Central peaked at 78.2% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 65.4%, in 1985.
WB: Africa Western and Central ranks 191st 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, male in WB: Africa Western and Central, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 65.4% | — |
| 1986 | 65.7% | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 66.2% | +0.8% |
| 1988 | 66.4% | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 66.9% | +0.7% |
| 1990 | 67.2% | +0.6% |
| 1991 | 67.6% | +0.5% |
| 1992 | 68.0% | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 68.4% | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 69.0% | +0.8% |
| 1995 | 68.2% | -1.2% |
| 1996 | 68.6% | +0.7% |
| 1997 | 69.2% | +0.9% |
| 1998 | 70.5% | +1.9% |
| 1999 | 70.8% | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 69.0% | -2.6% |
| 2001 | 70.0% | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 70.0% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 69.8% | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 71.2% | +2.0% |
| 2005 | 71.2% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 71.4% | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 70.6% | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 70.3% | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 70.5% | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 70.5% | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 71.2% | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 72.0% | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 73.0% | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 73.5% | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 74.2% | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 74.3% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 75.3% | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 77.2% | +2.6% |
| 2019 | 76.9% | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 77.0% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 77.4% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 77.7% | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 78.0% | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 78.2% | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 66.1% | 65.4% | 66.9% | 5 |
| 1990s | 68.8% | 67.2% | 70.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 70.4% | 69.0% | 71.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 73.8% | 70.5% | 77.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 77.7% | 77.0% | 78.2% | 5 |
More education data for WB: Africa Western and Central
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 4.61 million (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 7.4 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 1.89 million (2021)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 2.08 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.08 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.7294 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.00 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 6.08 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.09 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 18.05 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, male in WB: Africa Western and Central?
- Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, male in WB: Africa Western and Central was 78.2% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, male recorded in WB: Africa Western and Central?
- The highest recorded value was 78.2% in 2024.
- What is the lowest youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, male recorded in WB: Africa Western and Central?
- The lowest recorded value was 65.4% in 1985.
- How does WB: Africa Western and Central rank for youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, male?
- WB: Africa Western and Central ranks 191st out of 204 groups with data for 2024.
- Is youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, male rising or falling in WB: Africa Western and Central?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this WB: Africa Western and Central data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release