Literacy rate, adult female in Benin
Benin: Literacy rate, adult female was 41.5% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, adult female in Benin, 1979–2022
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of females ages 15 and above.
Analysis
Benin recorded 41.5% for literacy rate, adult female in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 25.3% on the previous year and down 2.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult female in Benin peaked at 42.5% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 9.5%, in 1979.
Benin ranks 80th of 89 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Literacy rate, adult female in Benin, year by year
| Year | % of females ages 15 and above | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 9.5% | — |
| 1992 | 16.6% | +73.7% |
| 2002 | 23.3% | +40.6% |
| 2011 | 42.5% | +82.2% |
| 2013 | 34.8% | -18.1% |
| 2017 | 28.6% | -17.9% |
| 2019 | 38.1% | +33.5% |
| 2021 | 33.1% | -13.0% |
| 2022 | 41.5% | +25.3% |
Benin compared with similar countries
- Benin's 41.5% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 71.4%, 58% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
- Benin's 41.5% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 63.2%, 66% of the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 9.5% | 9.5% | 9.5% | 1 |
| 1990s | 16.6% | 16.6% | 16.6% | 1 |
| 2000s | 23.3% | 23.3% | 23.3% | 1 |
| 2010s | 36.0% | 28.6% | 42.5% | 4 |
| 2020s | 37.3% | 33.1% | 41.5% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Benin
- 77 Mozambique 50.9% compare
- 78 Ethiopia 50.0% compare
- 79 Pakistan 48.5% compare
- 81 Senegal 41.5% compare
- 82 Cote d'Ivoire 40.3% compare
- 83 Burkina Faso 35.7% compare
More gender data for Benin
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 6,548 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 1.19 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 10,071 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 10,071 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 2.95 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 229,200 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 237,041 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 223,456 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 230,273 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 219,192 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, adult female in Benin?
- Literacy rate, adult female in Benin was 41.5% in 2022, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, adult female recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 42.5% in 2011.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, adult female recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.5% in 1979.
- How does Benin rank for literacy rate, adult female?
- Benin ranks 80th out of 89 countries with data for 2022.
- Is literacy rate, adult female rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Benin 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.