Namibia Youth Literacy Rate
Literacy rate among youth ages 15-24 SE.ADT.1524.LT.ZS
Namibia's youth literacy rate was 91.86% in 2025, ranked 54th globally. This represents a 0.3% decrease from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1991–2025.
Overview
Namibia's youth literacy rate stood at 91.86% in 2025, a decline of +0.27pp from 2023. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 91.86% by 2025. Namibia ranked 54th globally.
Namibia’s youth literacy rate has risen steadily since the early 1990s, moving from an all‑time trough of 88.11 % in 1991 to a peak of 94.76 % in 2016, before settling at 91.86 % in 2025, which places the country 54th globally. The upward trajectory reflects expanded primary education access and targeted literacy programmes, yet the recent modest decline from the 2016 high suggests emerging challenges such as uneven resource distribution and dropout risks in secondary transition. Compared with peers, Namibia’s 2025 figure is slightly below Rwanda’s 92.38 % and Türkiye’s 92.13 %, but marginally above Tanzania’s 87.54 %, indicating a competitive regional standing. Continued investment in teacher training, digital learning infrastructure, and rural outreach will be crucial to sustain the gains and potentially restore the upward momentum observed in the early‑2000s.
Data & projection
| Year | Youth Literacy Rate | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* trend | 91.66% | - | - |
| 2025* trend | 91.86% | - | - |
| 2025 | 91.86% | −0.27pp | #54 |
| 2023 | 92.13% | −0.68pp | #29 |
| 2018 | 92.81% | −1.95pp | #40 |
| 2016 | 94.76% | +0.60pp | #32 |
| 2013 | 94.16% | −0.26pp | #27 |
| 2011 | 94.42% | +3.22pp | #44 |
| 2007 | 91.20% | −1.22pp | #24 |
| 2001 | 92.42% | +2.99pp | #23 |
| 2000 | 89.43% | +1.32pp | #34 |
| 1991 | 88.11% | – | #15 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Namibia matched the Stagflation Risk pattern in 2009. Historically, 38% of countries showing this pattern (117 out of 307) saw youth literacy rate improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Namibia's youth literacy rate was 91.86% in 2025. Ranked 54th globally. This represents a 0.3% decrease from the previous year.
Namibia's youth literacy rate peaked at 94.76% in 2016.
The lowest youth literacy rate in Namibia was 88.11% in 1991.
Namibia ranks 54th globally in youth literacy rate as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SE.ADT.1524.LT.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
Namibia's youth literacy rate is projected to reach 91.86% by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
The youth literacy rate of Namibia in 2025 was 91.86%. This ranks 54th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_namibia_youth-literacy-rate,
title = {Namibia Youth Literacy Rate},
url = {https://historysaid.com/namibia/youth-literacy-rate/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}