Literate and illiterate world population in Eswatini

Eswatini: Literate and illiterate world population was 9.2% in 2022. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2022)
9.2%
World rank
56th
of 128 countries
All-time high
82.5%
in 1950
All-time low
9.2%
in 2022
Years of data
5
1950–2022

Literate and illiterate world population in Eswatini, 1950–2022

0204060801950198620221950: 82.5 %1976: 44.7 %1986: 32.8 %2000: 18.3 %2022: 9.2 %

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

Analysis

In 2022, literate and illiterate world population in Eswatini stood at 9.2%. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.

Over the whole period, literate and illiterate world population in Eswatini peaked at 82.5% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 9.2%, in 2022.

That places Eswatini 56th out of 128 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.

Literate and illiterate world population in Eswatini, year by year

Annual values for Literate and illiterate world population in Eswatini, 1950 to 2022.
Year % Change
1950 82.5%
1976 44.7% -45.9%
1986 32.8% -26.7%
2000 18.3% -44.0%
2022 9.2% -49.6%

Eswatini compared with similar countries

  • Eswatini's 9.2% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 21.8%, 42% of the median. (39 countries reporting)
  • Eswatini's 9.2% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 29.1%, 32% of the median. (36 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 82.5% 82.5% 82.5% 1
1970s 44.7% 44.7% 44.7% 1
1980s 32.8% 32.8% 32.8% 1
2000s 18.3% 18.3% 18.3% 1
2020s 9.2% 9.2% 9.2% 1

Countries ranked near Eswatini

  1. 53 Iran 11.1% compare
  2. 54 El Salvador 10.2% compare
  3. 55 Lesotho 9.6% compare
  4. 57 Thailand 8.9% compare
  5. 58 South Africa 8.8% compare
  6. 59 Lebanon 8.0% compare

See the full ranking of 128 places →

More population data for Eswatini

All data for Eswatini →

Frequently asked questions

What is literate and illiterate world population in Eswatini?
Literate and illiterate world population in Eswatini was 9.2% in 2022, 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 Eswatini?
The highest recorded value was 82.5% in 1950.
What is the lowest literate and illiterate world population recorded in Eswatini?
The lowest recorded value was 9.2% in 2022.
How does Eswatini rank for literate and illiterate world population?
Eswatini ranks 56th out of 128 countries with data for 2022.
Where does this Eswatini 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 Eswatini. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 24 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/literate-and-illiterate-world-population/eswatini/

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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

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