Literate and illiterate world population in Mozambique

Mozambique: Literate and illiterate world population was 38.3% in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
38.3%
Change on year
down 4.7%
World rank
15th
of 128 countries
All-time high
97.0%
in 1950
All-time low
38.3%
in 2022
Years of data
9
1950–2022

Literate and illiterate world population in Mozambique, 1950–2022

0204060801001950198620221950: 97 %1980: 73 %1997: 61.3 %2003: 51.8 %2009: 49.4 %2015: 44 %2017: 39.3 %2020: 40.2 %2022: 38.3 %

Source: UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Mozambique recorded 38.3% for literate and illiterate world population in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 9 years on record.

The figure is down 4.7% on the previous year and down 22.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literate and illiterate world population in Mozambique peaked at 97.0% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 38.3%, in 2022.

Mozambique ranks 15th of 128 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 97.0% 97.0% 97.0% 1
1980s 73.0% 73.0% 73.0% 1
1990s 61.3% 61.3% 61.3% 1
2000s 50.6% 49.4% 51.8% 2
2010s 41.7% 39.3% 44.0% 2
2020s 39.3% 38.3% 40.2% 2

Countries ranked near Mozambique

  1. 12 Gambia 48.4% compare
  2. 13 Pakistan 41.1% compare
  3. 14 Ethiopia 39.5% compare
  4. 16 Guinea-Bissau 36.1% compare
  5. 17 Morocco 35.7% compare
  6. 18 Bhutan 35.1% compare

See the full ranking of 128 places →

More population data for Mozambique

All data for Mozambique →

Frequently asked questions

What is literate and illiterate world population in Mozambique?
Literate and illiterate world population in Mozambique was 38.3% in 2022, according to UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest literate and illiterate world population recorded in Mozambique?
The highest recorded value was 97.0% in 1950.
What is the lowest literate and illiterate world population recorded in Mozambique?
The lowest recorded value was 38.3% in 2022.
How does Mozambique rank for literate and illiterate world population?
Mozambique ranks 15th out of 128 countries with data for 2022.
Is literate and illiterate world population rising or falling in Mozambique?
Over the last ten years it is down 22.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Mozambique data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Literate and illiterate world population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 9 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Literate and illiterate world population
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
128 places, 1,272 data points, 1475–2024
Last refreshed

Share of adults who cannot read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life.