Literate and illiterate world population in Uganda

Uganda: Literate and illiterate world population was 23.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
23.0%
Change on year
up 17.8%
World rank
36th
of 128 countries
All-time high
72.5%
in 1950
All-time low
19.5%
in 2023
Years of data
11
1950–2024

Literate and illiterate world population in Uganda, 1950–2024

204060801950198720241950: 72.5 %1991: 43.9 %2002: 31.9 %2006: 28.6 %2010: 26.8 %2012: 29.8 %2014: 31.5 %2016: 30.9 %2021: 21 %2023: 19.5 %2024: 23 %

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

Analysis

In 2024, literate and illiterate world population in Uganda stood at 23.0%.

That represents a change of up 17.8% on the previous year and down 27.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literate and illiterate world population in Uganda peaked at 72.5% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 19.5%, in 2023.

That places Uganda 36th out of 128 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 11 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 72.5% 72.5% 72.5% 1
1990s 43.9% 43.9% 43.9% 1
2000s 30.2% 28.6% 31.9% 2
2010s 29.7% 26.8% 31.5% 4
2020s 21.1% 19.5% 23.0% 3

Countries ranked near Uganda

  1. 33 Comoros 24.4% compare
  2. 34 Laos 24.4% compare
  3. 35 Ghana 23.5% compare
  4. 37 India 21.8% compare
  5. 38 Tanzania 21.8% compare
  6. 39 Rwanda 21.2% compare

See the full ranking of 128 places →

More population data for Uganda

All data for Uganda →

Frequently asked questions

What is literate and illiterate world population in Uganda?
Literate and illiterate world population in Uganda was 23.0% in 2024, 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 Uganda?
The highest recorded value was 72.5% in 1950.
What is the lowest literate and illiterate world population recorded in Uganda?
The lowest recorded value was 19.5% in 2023.
How does Uganda rank for literate and illiterate world population?
Uganda ranks 36th out of 128 countries with data for 2024.
Is literate and illiterate world population rising or falling in Uganda?
Over the last ten years it is down 27.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Uganda 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 — 11 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.