Literacy rate, adult female in Mozambique

Mozambique: Literacy rate, adult female was 50.9% in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
50.9%
Change on year
up 4.8%
World rank
77th
of 89 countries
All-time high
50.9%
in 2022
All-time low
12.1%
in 1980
Years of data
8
1980–2022

Literacy rate, adult female in Mozambique, 1980–2022

10203040501980200120221980: 12.1 % of females ages 15 and above1997: 25 % of females ages 15 and above2003: 33.2 % of females ages 15 and above2009: 36.5 % of females ages 15 and above2015: 43.1 % of females ages 15 and above2017: 50.3 % of females ages 15 and above2020: 48.6 % of females ages 15 and above2022: 50.9 % of females ages 15 and above

Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of females ages 15 and above.

Analysis

Mozambique recorded 50.9% 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 4.8% on the previous year and up 39.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult female in Mozambique peaked at 50.9% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 12.1%, in 1980.

Mozambique ranks 77th of 89 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

Literacy rate, adult female in Mozambique, year by year

Annual values for Literacy rate, adult female (% of females ages 15 and above) in Mozambique, 1980 to 2022.
Year % of females ages 15 and above Change
1980 12.1%
1997 25.0% +106.3%
2003 33.2% +33.0%
2009 36.5% +9.8%
2015 43.1% +18.1%
2017 50.3% +16.8%
2020 48.6% -3.4%
2022 50.9% +4.8%

Mozambique compared with similar countries

  • Mozambique's 50.9% is above the median for low income countries, which is 50.0%, 1.0× the median. (13 countries reporting)
  • Mozambique's 50.9% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 63.2%, 81% of the median. (28 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 12.1% 12.1% 12.1% 1
1990s 25.0% 25.0% 25.0% 1
2000s 34.8% 33.2% 36.5% 2
2010s 46.7% 43.1% 50.3% 2
2020s 49.7% 48.6% 50.9% 2

Countries ranked near Mozambique

  1. 74 Nepal 59.4% compare
  2. 75 Democratic Republic of Congo 53.8% compare
  3. 76 Morocco 53.4% compare
  4. 78 Ethiopia 50.0% compare
  5. 79 Pakistan 48.5% compare
  6. 80 Benin 41.5% compare

See the full ranking of 128 places →

More gender data for Mozambique

All data for Mozambique →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate, adult female in Mozambique?
Literacy rate, adult female in Mozambique was 50.9% in 2022, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest literacy rate, adult female recorded in Mozambique?
The highest recorded value was 50.9% in 2022.
What is the lowest literacy rate, adult female recorded in Mozambique?
The lowest recorded value was 12.1% in 1980.
How does Mozambique rank for literacy rate, adult female?
Mozambique ranks 77th out of 89 countries with data for 2022.
Is literacy rate, adult female rising or falling in Mozambique?
Over the last ten years it is up 39.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Mozambique 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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Literacy rate, adult female in Mozambique. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://gender.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-adult-female-percent-of-females-ages-15-and-above/mozambique/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, adult female (% of females ages 15 and above)
Unit
% of females ages 15 and above
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
128 places, 2,600 data points, 1973–2024
Last refreshed

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.