Literacy rate, adult female in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Literacy rate, adult female was 53.8% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Literacy rate, adult female in Democratic Republic of Congo, 2001–2023
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of females ages 15 and above.
Analysis
Democratic Republic of Congo recorded 53.8% for literacy rate, adult female in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 6 years on record.
That represents a change of down 4.2% on the previous year and down 14.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult female in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 66.5% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 53.8%, in 2023.
Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 75th of 89 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Literacy rate, adult female in Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year
| Year | % of females ages 15 and above | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 54.1% | — |
| 2012 | 62.9% | +16.4% |
| 2016 | 66.5% | +5.7% |
| 2018 | 61.6% | -7.4% |
| 2020 | 56.1% | -8.9% |
| 2023 | 53.8% | -4.2% |
Democratic Republic of Congo compared with similar countries
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 53.8% is above the median for low income countries, which is 50.0%, 1.1× the median. (13 countries reporting)
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 53.8% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 63.2%, 85% of the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 54.1% | 54.1% | 54.1% | 1 |
| 2010s | 63.7% | 61.6% | 66.5% | 3 |
| 2020s | 54.9% | 53.8% | 56.1% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
More gender data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 59,241 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 2.48 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 72,291 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 72,291 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 3.47 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 2.15 million (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 2.18 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 2.08 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 2.11 million (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 2.02 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, adult female in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Literacy rate, adult female in Democratic Republic of Congo was 53.8% in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, adult female recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 66.5% in 2016.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, adult female recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 53.8% in 2023.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for literacy rate, adult female?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 75th out of 89 countries with data for 2023.
- Is literacy rate, adult female rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo 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.