Namibia Literacy Rate
Adult literacy rate SE.ADT.LITR.ZS
Namibia's literacy rate was 88.96% in 2025, ranked 37th globally. This represents a 1.5% increase from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1991–2025.
Overview
Namibia's literacy rate stood at 88.96% in 2025, a rise of +1.32pp from 2023. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 88.96% by 2025. Namibia ranked 37th globally.
Namibia’s adult literacy rate has risen steadily from 75.82 % in 1991 to 88.96 % in 2025, marking the country’s all‑time peak and placing it 37th globally. The 13.14‑percentage‑point increase over 34 years reflects sustained investment in primary education and adult learning programmes, particularly after independence when the government expanded free schooling. Compared with regional peers, Namibia now trails El Salvador’s 89.71 % and Iran’s 89.76 % but exceeds Honduras (87.97 %) and Zambia (86.88 %). The upward trajectory aligns with broader Southern African trends of expanding universal basic education, yet the modest gain of roughly 0.39 percentage points per year suggests remaining capacity constraints in remote areas. Continued funding for teacher training, digital learning resources and rural school infrastructure will be critical to push the rate beyond the current ceiling and narrow the gap with the highest‑ranking peers.
Data & projection
| Year | Literacy Rate | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* trend | 89.09% | - | - |
| 2025* trend | 88.96% | - | - |
| 2025 | 88.96% | +1.32pp | #37 |
| 2023 | 87.64% | −0.69pp | #22 |
| 2018 | 88.33% | +0.13pp | #27 |
| 2016 | 88.20% | −0.07pp | #29 |
| 2011 | 88.27% | +3.33pp | #38 |
| 2001 | 84.94% | +9.12pp | #18 |
| 1991 | 75.82% | – | #13 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Namibia matched the Stagflation Risk pattern in 2009. Historically, 38% of countries showing this pattern (117 out of 307) saw literacy rate improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Namibia's literacy rate was 88.96% in 2025. Ranked 37th globally. This represents a 1.5% increase from the previous year.
Namibia's literacy rate peaked at 88.96% in 2025.
The lowest literacy rate in Namibia was 75.82% in 1991.
Namibia ranks 37th globally in literacy rate as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SE.ADT.LITR.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
Namibia's literacy rate is projected to reach 88.96% by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
The literacy rate of Namibia in 2025 was 88.96%. This ranks 37th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_namibia_literacy-rate,
title = {Namibia Literacy Rate},
url = {https://historysaid.com/namibia/literacy-rate/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}