Literacy rate, adult female in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Literacy rate, adult female was 50.0% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, adult female in Ethiopia, 1994–2022
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of females ages 15 and above.
Analysis
Ethiopia recorded 50.0% for literacy rate, adult female in 2022. That is the highest value across all 8 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 13.2% on the previous year and up 36.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult female in Ethiopia peaked at 50.0% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 18.5%, in 1994.
That places Ethiopia 78th out of 89 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Literacy rate, adult female in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | % of females ages 15 and above | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 18.5% | — |
| 2004 | 22.8% | +23.2% |
| 2007 | 28.9% | +26.8% |
| 2013 | 36.6% | +26.6% |
| 2016 | 34.4% | -6.0% |
| 2019 | 44.6% | +29.6% |
| 2021 | 44.1% | -1.1% |
| 2022 | 50.0% | +13.2% |
Ethiopia compared with similar countries
- Ethiopia's 50.0% is above the median for low income countries, which is 50.0%, 1.0× the median. (13 countries reporting)
- Ethiopia's 50.0% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 63.2%, 79% of the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 18.5% | 18.5% | 18.5% | 1 |
| 2000s | 25.9% | 22.8% | 28.9% | 2 |
| 2010s | 38.5% | 34.4% | 44.6% | 3 |
| 2020s | 47.0% | 44.1% | 50.0% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
More gender data for Ethiopia
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 57,452 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 1.69 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 95,403 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 95,403 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 2.76 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 1.98 million (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 2.07 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 1.95 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 2.04 million (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 1.92 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, adult female in Ethiopia?
- Literacy rate, adult female in Ethiopia was 50.0% in 2022, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, adult female recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 50.0% in 2022.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, adult female recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.5% in 1994.
- How does Ethiopia rank for literacy rate, adult female?
- Ethiopia ranks 78th out of 89 countries with data for 2022.
- Is literacy rate, adult female rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 36.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ethiopia 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.