Literacy rate, adult female in Africa Western and Central
Africa Western and Central: Literacy rate, adult female was 52.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, adult female in Africa Western and Central, 1985–2024
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 Western and Central stood at 52.9%. That is the highest value across all 40 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and up 17.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult female in Africa Western and Central peaked at 52.9% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 28.6%, in 1985.
That places Africa Western and Central 39th out of 39 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 40 years of available data.
Literacy rate, adult female in Africa Western and Central, year by year
| Year | % of females ages 15 and above | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 28.6% | — |
| 1986 | 28.9% | +1.0% |
| 1987 | 29.7% | +2.8% |
| 1988 | 30.4% | +2.4% |
| 1989 | 31.3% | +2.9% |
| 1990 | 32.1% | +2.8% |
| 1991 | 33.0% | +2.8% |
| 1992 | 33.9% | +2.7% |
| 1993 | 34.9% | +2.7% |
| 1994 | 35.9% | +2.9% |
| 1995 | 36.3% | +1.3% |
| 1996 | 37.4% | +2.8% |
| 1997 | 38.5% | +3.0% |
| 1998 | 39.7% | +3.3% |
| 1999 | 40.8% | +2.6% |
| 2000 | 36.0% | -11.8% |
| 2001 | 37.2% | +3.5% |
| 2002 | 38.1% | +2.4% |
| 2003 | 39.0% | +2.3% |
| 2004 | 40.1% | +2.8% |
| 2005 | 40.4% | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 41.3% | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 39.9% | -3.5% |
| 2008 | 40.5% | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 40.4% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 41.4% | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 42.6% | +3.0% |
| 2012 | 43.2% | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 44.1% | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 45.0% | +2.1% |
| 2015 | 46.0% | +2.2% |
| 2016 | 46.7% | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 47.8% | +2.2% |
| 2018 | 51.6% | +8.1% |
| 2019 | 51.6% | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 51.9% | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 52.2% | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 52.5% | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 52.8% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 52.9% | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 29.8% | 28.6% | 31.3% | 5 |
| 1990s | 36.2% | 32.1% | 40.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 39.3% | 36.0% | 41.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 46.0% | 41.4% | 51.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 52.4% | 51.9% | 52.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Africa Western and Central
More gender data for Africa Western and Central
- Labor force, female 105.69 million (2025)
- Labor force, female, per capita 0.1984 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 2.87 % change on previous year (2025)
- Labor force, female, per square kilometre 11.01 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Incidence of HIV, ages 15-49, male 0.2528 per 1,000 uninfected male population ages 15-49 (2024)
- Incidence of HIV, ages 15-49, female 0.4972 per 1,000 uninfected female population ages 15-49 (2024)
- Incidence of HIV, ages 15-24, female 0.5102 per 1,000 uninfected female population ages 15-24 (2024)
- Incidence of HIV, ages 15-24, male 0.1669 per 1,000 uninfected male population ages 15-24 (2024)
- Ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24) 123.2% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, adult female in Africa Western and Central?
- Literacy rate, adult female in Africa Western and Central was 52.9% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, adult female recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The highest recorded value was 52.9% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, adult female recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.6% in 1985.
- How does Africa Western and Central rank for literacy rate, adult female?
- Africa Western and Central ranks 39th out of 39 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, adult female rising or falling in Africa Western and Central?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Africa Western and Central 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.