Literacy rate in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2024 — 68.69%. Since 1985, the indicator has risen by 19.03 pp.
1985–2024 · % of population aged 15+
How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Sub-Saharan Africa
| Year | % | Change, pp |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 68.69 | +0.25 pp |
| 2023 | 68.44 | +0.29 pp |
| 2022 | 68.15 | +0.31 pp |
| 2021 | 67.84 | −0.05 pp |
| 2020 | 67.89 | +0.16 pp |
| 2019 | 67.73 | +0.6 pp |
| 2018 | 67.13 | +1.88 pp |
| 2017 | 65.25 | +0.36 pp |
| 2016 | 64.89 | +0.63 pp |
| 2015 | 64.26 | +0.59 pp |
| 2014 | 63.67 | +0.55 pp |
| 2013 | 63.12 | +0.88 pp |
| 2012 | 62.24 | +1.23 pp |
| 2011 | 61.01 | +1.69 pp |
| 2010 | 59.32 | +0.67 pp |
| 2009 | 58.65 | +0.48 pp |
| 2008 | 58.17 | +0.34 pp |
| 2007 | 57.83 | −0.2 pp |
| 2006 | 58.03 | −0.91 pp |
| 2005 | 58.94 | −0.32 pp |
| 2004 | 59.26 | +0.68 pp |
| 2003 | 58.58 | +0.53 pp |
| 2002 | 58.05 | +0.71 pp |
| 2001 | 57.34 | +0.77 pp |
| 2000 | 56.57 | −1.13 pp |
| 1999 | 57.7 | +0.87 pp |
| 1998 | 56.83 | +0.67 pp |
| 1997 | 56.16 | +0.79 pp |
| 1996 | 55.37 | +0.63 pp |
| 1995 | 54.74 | +0.4 pp |
| 1994 | 54.34 | +0.62 pp |
| 1993 | 53.72 | +0.58 pp |
| 1992 | 53.14 | +0.47 pp |
| 1991 | 52.67 | +0.35 pp |
| 1990 | 52.32 | +0.64 pp |
| 1989 | 51.68 | +0.54 pp |
| 1988 | 51.14 | +0.51 pp |
| 1987 | 50.63 | +0.64 pp |
| 1986 | 49.99 | +0.33 pp |
| 1985 | 49.66 | — |
The share of the population aged 15 and older able to read and write a short simple statement about their everyday life. The UNESCO definition is deliberately minimal — it is the threshold of functional literacy, not an assessment of the quality of education. In most countries the data come from censuses and surveys, so they are updated irregularly.
Important: The series is incomplete: values are published only for the years in which a census or a literacy survey was conducted.
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), license CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO.
What share of their potential a child born today will manage to realize.
Education Primary completion rateWhat share of children reach the last grade of primary school.
Education Primary school enrollmentThe net enrollment rate: the share of children of school age attending primary school.