Literacy rate, adult female in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries): Literacy rate, adult female was 62.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, adult female in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), 1985–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of females ages 15 and above.
Analysis
The most recent figure for literacy rate, adult female in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) is 62.7%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 40 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 11.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult female in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 62.7% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 38.9%, in 1985.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) 31st out of 39 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 40 years of available data.
Literacy rate, adult female in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | % of females ages 15 and above | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 38.9% | — |
| 1986 | 39.2% | +1.0% |
| 1987 | 39.9% | +1.8% |
| 1988 | 40.5% | +1.5% |
| 1989 | 41.1% | +1.4% |
| 1990 | 41.8% | +1.8% |
| 1991 | 42.2% | +0.9% |
| 1992 | 42.8% | +1.4% |
| 1993 | 43.6% | +1.8% |
| 1994 | 44.2% | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 45.0% | +1.8% |
| 1996 | 45.9% | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 47.0% | +2.4% |
| 1998 | 47.8% | +1.5% |
| 1999 | 48.7% | +1.9% |
| 2000 | 47.2% | -3.0% |
| 2001 | 48.2% | +2.0% |
| 2002 | 48.5% | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 49.2% | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 49.9% | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 49.7% | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 48.8% | -1.7% |
| 2007 | 49.0% | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 49.4% | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 50.0% | +1.1% |
| 2010 | 50.9% | +1.9% |
| 2011 | 52.9% | +3.9% |
| 2012 | 54.2% | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 55.2% | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 56.0% | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 56.8% | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 57.6% | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 58.2% | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 60.3% | +3.7% |
| 2019 | 61.1% | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 61.4% | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 61.5% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 61.9% | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 62.3% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 62.7% | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 39.9% | 38.9% | 41.1% | 5 |
| 1990s | 44.9% | 41.8% | 48.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 49.0% | 47.2% | 50.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 56.3% | 50.9% | 61.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 61.9% | 61.4% | 62.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
More gender data for Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Labor force, female 247.09 million (2025)
- Labor force, female, per capita 0.187 units per person (2025)
- Labor force, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Labor force, female, annual growth rate 2.97 % change on previous year (2025)
- Labor force, female, per square kilometre 9.83 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Incidence of HIV, ages 15-49, female 1.12 per 1,000 uninfected female population ages 15-49 (2024)
- Incidence of HIV, ages 15-49, male 0.5884 per 1,000 uninfected male population ages 15-49 (2024)
- Incidence of HIV, ages 15-24, female 1.38 per 1,000 uninfected female population ages 15-24 (2024)
- Incidence of HIV, ages 15-24, male 0.4268 per 1,000 uninfected male population ages 15-24 (2024)
- Ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24) 127.7% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, adult female in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Literacy rate, adult female in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) was 62.7% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, adult female recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 62.7% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, adult female recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 38.9% in 1985.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for literacy rate, adult female?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 31st out of 39 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, adult female rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) 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.