Literacy rate, adult female in Mali
Mali: Literacy rate, adult female was 27.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, adult female in Mali, 1976–2024
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 Mali stood at 27.7%. That is the highest value across all 9 years on record.
The figure is up 25.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult female in Mali peaked at 27.7% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 5.7%, in 1976.
That places Mali 85th out of 89 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Literacy rate, adult female in Mali, year by year
| Year | % of females ages 15 and above | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 5.7% | — |
| 1998 | 11.9% | +107.1% |
| 2003 | 15.9% | +33.7% |
| 2006 | 18.2% | +14.4% |
| 2010 | 20.3% | +11.5% |
| 2011 | 18.9% | -6.9% |
| 2015 | 22.2% | +17.5% |
| 2018 | 25.7% | +15.9% |
| 2024 | 27.7% | +7.8% |
Mali compared with similar countries
- Mali's 27.7% is below the median for low income countries, which is 50.0%, 56% of the median. (13 countries reporting)
- Mali's 27.7% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 63.2%, 44% of the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5.7% | 5.7% | 5.7% | 1 |
| 1990s | 11.9% | 11.9% | 11.9% | 1 |
| 2000s | 17.0% | 15.9% | 18.2% | 2 |
| 2010s | 21.8% | 18.9% | 25.7% | 4 |
| 2020s | 27.7% | 27.7% | 27.7% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Mali
- 82 Cote d'Ivoire 40.3% compare
- 83 Burkina Faso 35.7% compare
- 84 Sierra Leone 33.9% compare
- 86 Guinea 27.7% compare
- 87 Afghanistan 26.6% compare
- 88 Niger 25.7% compare
More gender data for Mali
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 12,771 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 2 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 16,232 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 16,232 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 3.42 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 459,934 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 471,024 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 442,703 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 451,382 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 428,668 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, adult female in Mali?
- Literacy rate, adult female in Mali was 27.7% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, adult female recorded in Mali?
- The highest recorded value was 27.7% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, adult female recorded in Mali?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.7% in 1976.
- How does Mali rank for literacy rate, adult female?
- Mali ranks 85th out of 89 countries with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, adult female rising or falling in Mali?
- Over the last ten years it is up 25.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Mali 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.