Literacy Rate: Central African Republic

Analysis# Central African Republic Literacy Rate Central African Republic's literacy rate stands at 42.44% as of 2019, representing a significant decline from its all-time peak of 50.65% in 2000. Despite this recent setback, the country has achieved substantial long-term progress since 1975, when literacy reached only 18.24%—a total improvement of 132.7% over the 44-year span. The current rate remains more than double the lowest recorded level, demonstrating the durable gains made across generations. The nation's literacy trajectory reveals a sharp upward climb through 2000, rising from 18.24% in 1975 to 33.62% in 1988 before reaching its peak two decades later. The subsequent decline to 42.44% by 2019 suggests mounting challenges in recent years, possibly linked to regional instability. Reversing this downward trend will be critical for sustaining the educational progress Central African Republic achieved in earlier decades.