Zimbabwe tops Africa’s literacy rate as Malawi trails at position 28

January 17, 2014 Global Author

Zimbabwe has held pole position since 2010, taking over from Tunisia which is now ranked number 15.

This is despite the economic challenges the country has endured in the last decade due to the West’s illegal economic sanctions that curtailed Government’s capacity to fund the education sector.

The embargo chipped away at investments made in education since 1980, but the sound policies initiated by President Mugabe that devoted the largest chunk of the national budget to education ensured that the education system remained intact.

Africa Literacy Ranking 2013
1. Zimbabwe 90.70
2.Equatorial Guinea 87.00
3.South Africa 86.40
4.Kenya 85.10
5.Namibia 85.00
6.Sao Tome and Principe 84.90
7.Lesotho 84.80
8.Mauritius 84.40
9. Congo, Republic of the 83.80
10.Libya 82.60
11. Swaziland 81.60
12.Botswana 81.20
13.Zambia 80.60
14.Cape Verde 76.60
15.Tunisia 74.30
16.Egypt 71.40
17.Rwanda 70.40
18.Algeria 69.90
19.Tanzania 69.40
20.Madagascar 68.90
21.Nigeria 68.00
22.Cameroon 67.90
23.Djibouti 67.90
24.Angola 67.40
25. D.R.C 67.20
26.Uganda 66.80
27. Gabon 63.20
28.Malawi 62.70
29.Sudan 61.10
30.Togo 60.90
31.Burundi 59.30
32.Eritrea 58.60
33.Ghana 57.90
34.Liberia 57.50
35.Comoros 56.50
36.Morocco 52.30
37.Mauritania 51.20
38.Cote d’Ivoire 48.70
39.Central African Republic 48.60
40.Mozambique 47.80
41.Mali 46.40
42.Ethiopia 42.70
43.Guinea-Bissau 42.40
44.Gambia, The 40.10
45.Senegal 39.30
46.Somalia 37.80
47.Sierra Leone 35.10
48.Benin 34.70
49.Guinea 29.50
50.Niger 28.70
51.Chad 25.70
52.Burkina Faso 21.80