Literate and illiterate world population in Senegal

Senegal: Literate and illiterate world population was 49.6% in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
49.6%
World rank
10th
of 128 countries
All-time high
97.0%
in 1950
All-time low
48.1%
in 2017
Years of data
13
1950–2023

Literate and illiterate world population in Senegal, 1950–2023

0204060801001950198620231950: 97 %1988: 73.1 %2002: 60.7 %2006: 58.1 %2009: 52 %2011: 48.2 %2013: 56.5 %2015: 56.4 %2016: 53.9 %2017: 48.1 %2018: 53.4 %2019: 53.2 %2023: 49.6 %

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for literate and illiterate world population in Senegal is 49.6%, measured in 2023.

That represents a change of down 12.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literate and illiterate world population in Senegal peaked at 97.0% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 48.1%, in 2017.

Senegal ranks 10th of 128 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 13 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 97.0% 97.0% 97.0% 1
1980s 73.1% 73.1% 73.1% 1
2000s 56.9% 52.0% 60.7% 3
2010s 52.8% 48.1% 56.5% 7
2020s 49.6% 49.6% 49.6% 1

Countries ranked near Senegal

  1. 7 Central African Republic 57.6% compare
  2. 8 Sierra Leone 56.4% compare
  3. 9 Cote d'Ivoire 50.0% compare
  4. 11 Benin 48.6% compare
  5. 12 Gambia 48.4% compare
  6. 13 Pakistan 41.1% compare

See the full ranking of 128 places →

More population data for Senegal

All data for Senegal →

Frequently asked questions

What is literate and illiterate world population in Senegal?
Literate and illiterate world population in Senegal was 49.6% in 2023, 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 Senegal?
The highest recorded value was 97.0% in 1950.
What is the lowest literate and illiterate world population recorded in Senegal?
The lowest recorded value was 48.1% in 2017.
How does Senegal rank for literate and illiterate world population?
Senegal ranks 10th out of 128 countries with data for 2023.
Is literate and illiterate world population rising or falling in Senegal?
Over the last ten years it is down 12.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Senegal 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 — 13 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.