Which has higher literacy rate, adult female, Sub-Saharan Africa or Turkey?

Turkey, at 95.3% against 62.7% in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2021.

How many years of comparable data are there for Sub-Saharan Africa and Turkey?

17 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2021.

Where does this data come from?

Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as Literacy rate, adult female (% of females ages 15 and above). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Sub-Saharan Africa vs Turkey: Literacy rate, adult female

Sub-Saharan Africa

62.7%

in 2024

Turkey

95.3%

in 2021

Sub-Saharan Africa rank

31st

Turkey rank

28th

Literacy rate, adult female over time

Sub-Saharan Africa
Turkey

How they compare

Turkey currently reports 95.3% against 62.7% in Sub-Saharan Africa, a difference of 32.6%.

That makes Turkey's figure about 1.5 times Sub-Saharan Africa's.

Across all 17 years both countries report, Turkey has been ahead every year.

Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 31st and Turkey ranks 28th of 39 groups.

Turkey has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Sub-Saharan Africa	Turkey	Difference	Ahead
1980s	38.9%	64.2%	25.4%	Turkey
1990s	41.8%	68.5%	26.7%	Turkey
2000s	49.5%	81.4%	32.0%	Turkey
2010s	55.9%	92.0%	36.1%	Turkey
2020s	61.5%	95.3%	33.8%	Turkey

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher literacy rate, adult female, Sub-Saharan Africa or Turkey?: Turkey, at 95.3% against 62.7% in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2021.
What is the difference in literacy rate, adult female between Sub-Saharan Africa and Turkey?: 32.6%, with Turkey ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Sub-Saharan Africa and Turkey?: 17 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2021.
How do Sub-Saharan Africa and Turkey rank globally for literacy rate, adult female?: Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 31st and Turkey ranks 28th of 39 groups.
Where does this data come from?: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as Literacy rate, adult female (% of females ages 15 and above). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Sub-Saharan Africa vs Turkey: Literacy rate, adult female. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 19 September 2026, from https://gender.statizoid.com/compare/literacy-rate-adult-female-percent-of-females-ages-15-and-above/sub-saharan-africa/turkiye/

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<a href="https://gender.statizoid.com/compare/literacy-rate-adult-female-percent-of-females-ages-15-and-above/sub-saharan-africa/turkiye/">Sub-Saharan Africa vs Turkey: Literacy rate, adult female</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator: Literacy rate, adult female (% of females ages 15 and above)
Unit: % of females ages 15 and above
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 128 places, 2,600 data points, 1973–2024
Last refreshed: 17 September 2026

Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.