Literacy rate, adult female in Africa Eastern and Southern
Africa Eastern and Southern: Literacy rate, adult female was 69.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, adult female in Africa Eastern and Southern, 1987–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of females ages 15 and above.
Analysis
In 2024, literacy rate, adult female in Africa Eastern and Southern stood at 69.0%. That is the highest value across all 38 years on record.
The figure is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 9.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult female in Africa Eastern and Southern peaked at 69.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 46.7%, in 1987.
Africa Eastern and Southern ranks 27th of 39 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 38 years of available data.
Literacy rate, adult female in Africa Eastern and Southern, year by year
| Year | % of females ages 15 and above | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 46.7% | — |
| 1988 | 47.2% | +1.1% |
| 1989 | 47.6% | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 48.3% | +1.4% |
| 1991 | 48.3% | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 48.7% | +0.9% |
| 1993 | 49.4% | +1.4% |
| 1994 | 49.8% | +0.9% |
| 1995 | 50.8% | +1.8% |
| 1996 | 51.6% | +1.6% |
| 1997 | 52.7% | +2.2% |
| 1998 | 53.1% | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 54.0% | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 54.7% | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 55.5% | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 55.3% | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 56.0% | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 56.4% | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 55.8% | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 53.8% | -3.7% |
| 2007 | 55.1% | +2.4% |
| 2008 | 55.4% | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 56.3% | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 57.2% | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 59.7% | +4.4% |
| 2012 | 61.6% | +3.1% |
| 2013 | 62.6% | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 63.3% | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 63.9% | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 64.8% | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 65.0% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 66.0% | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 67.3% | +2.0% |
| 2020 | 67.6% | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 67.5% | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 68.0% | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 68.5% | +0.7% |
| 2024 | 69.0% | +0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 47.2% | 46.7% | 47.6% | 3 |
| 1990s | 50.7% | 48.3% | 54.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 55.4% | 53.8% | 56.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 63.1% | 57.2% | 67.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 68.1% | 67.5% | 69.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Africa Eastern and Southern
More gender data for Africa Eastern and Southern
- Labor force, female 141.40 million (2025)
- Labor force, female, per capita 0.1792 units per person (2025)
- Labor force, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Labor force, female, annual growth rate 3.04 % change on previous year (2025)
- Labor force, female, per square kilometre 9.11 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Incidence of HIV, ages 15-49, female 1.57 per 1,000 uninfected female population ages 15-49 (2024)
- Incidence of HIV, ages 15-49, male 0.8311 per 1,000 uninfected male population ages 15-49 (2024)
- Incidence of HIV, ages 15-24, female 1.98 per 1,000 uninfected female population ages 15-24 (2024)
- Incidence of HIV, ages 15-24, male 0.6099 per 1,000 uninfected male population ages 15-24 (2024)
- Ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24) 131.1% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, adult female in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Literacy rate, adult female in Africa Eastern and Southern was 69.0% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, adult female recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The highest recorded value was 69.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, adult female recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The lowest recorded value was 46.7% in 1987.
- How does Africa Eastern and Southern rank for literacy rate, adult female?
- Africa Eastern and Southern ranks 27th out of 39 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, adult female rising or falling in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Africa Eastern and Southern data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Literacy rate, adult female (% of females ages 15 and above). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
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.