Literate and illiterate world population in Burundi

Burundi: Literate and illiterate world population was 28.7% in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
28.7%
Change on year
down 9.4%
World rank
26th
of 128 countries
All-time high
77.5%
in 1979
All-time low
28.7%
in 2020
Years of data
8
1979–2020

Literate and illiterate world population in Burundi, 1979–2020

0204060801979199920201979: 77.5 %1990: 62.6 %2000: 40.7 %2008: 51.9 %2014: 38.7 %2016: 34.3 %2017: 31.6 %2020: 28.7 %

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

Analysis

Burundi recorded 28.7% for literate and illiterate world population in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 8 years on record.

That represents a change of down 9.4% on the previous year and down 44.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literate and illiterate world population in Burundi peaked at 77.5% in 1979 and was at its lowest, 28.7%, in 2020.

Burundi ranks 26th of 128 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

Literate and illiterate world population in Burundi, year by year

Annual values for Literate and illiterate world population in Burundi, 1979 to 2020.
Year % Change
1979 77.5%
1990 62.6% -19.2%
2000 40.7% -35.0%
2008 51.9% +27.6%
2014 38.7% -25.4%
2016 34.3% -11.4%
2017 31.6% -7.8%
2020 28.7% -9.4%

Burundi compared with similar countries

  • Burundi's 28.7% is below the median for low income countries, which is 38.9%, 74% of the median. (18 countries reporting)
  • Burundi's 28.7% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 29.1%, 98% of the median. (36 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 77.5% 77.5% 77.5% 1
1990s 62.6% 62.6% 62.6% 1
2000s 46.3% 40.7% 51.9% 2
2010s 34.9% 31.6% 38.7% 3
2020s 28.7% 28.7% 28.7% 1

Countries ranked near Burundi

  1. 23 East Timor 30.6% compare
  2. 24 Malawi 29.9% compare
  3. 25 Nigeria 29.6% compare
  4. 27 Zambia 28.2% compare
  5. 28 Cambodia 28.1% compare
  6. 29 Cameroon 27.4% compare

See the full ranking of 128 places →

More population data for Burundi

All data for Burundi →

Frequently asked questions

What is literate and illiterate world population in Burundi?
Literate and illiterate world population in Burundi was 28.7% in 2020, 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 Burundi?
The highest recorded value was 77.5% in 1979.
What is the lowest literate and illiterate world population recorded in Burundi?
The lowest recorded value was 28.7% in 2020.
How does Burundi rank for literate and illiterate world population?
Burundi ranks 26th out of 128 countries with data for 2020.
Is literate and illiterate world population rising or falling in Burundi?
Over the last ten years it is down 44.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Burundi 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.

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Literate and illiterate world population in Burundi. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/literate-and-illiterate-world-population/burundi/

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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.