Literacy rate, adult female in Burundi
Burundi: Literacy rate, adult female was 66.1% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, adult female in Burundi, 1979–2020
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of females ages 15 and above.
Analysis
Burundi recorded 66.1% for literacy rate, adult female in 2020. That is the highest value across all 8 years on record.
The figure is up 8.0% on the previous year and up 53.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult female in Burundi peaked at 66.1% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 12.0%, in 1979.
That places Burundi 67th out of 89 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Literacy rate, adult female in Burundi, year by year
| Year | % of females ages 15 and above | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 12.0% | — |
| 1990 | 27.5% | +129.8% |
| 2000 | 52.2% | +89.8% |
| 2008 | 43.2% | -17.4% |
| 2014 | 54.6% | +26.6% |
| 2016 | 59.4% | +8.8% |
| 2017 | 61.2% | +3.0% |
| 2020 | 66.1% | +8.0% |
Burundi compared with similar countries
- Burundi's 66.1% is above the median for low income countries, which is 50.0%, 1.3× the median. (13 countries reporting)
- Burundi's 66.1% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 63.2%, 1.0× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 12.0% | 12.0% | 12.0% | 1 |
| 1990s | 27.5% | 27.5% | 27.5% | 1 |
| 2000s | 47.7% | 43.2% | 52.2% | 2 |
| 2010s | 58.4% | 54.6% | 61.2% | 3 |
| 2020s | 66.1% | 66.1% | 66.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Burundi
More gender data for Burundi
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 6,524 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.6397 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 9,658 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 9,658 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 3.48 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 224,447 people (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 228,639 people (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 220,998 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 224,797 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 217,921 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, adult female in Burundi?
- Literacy rate, adult female in Burundi was 66.1% in 2020, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, adult female recorded in Burundi?
- The highest recorded value was 66.1% in 2020.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, adult female recorded in Burundi?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.0% in 1979.
- How does Burundi rank for literacy rate, adult female?
- Burundi ranks 67th out of 89 countries with data for 2020.
- Is literacy rate, adult female rising or falling in Burundi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 53.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Burundi 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.