Literacy Rate: Eswatini

Analysis# Eswatini Literacy Rate Eswatini's literacy rate reached 90.75% in 2022, matching its all-time peak. This represents a dramatic 64 percentage-point improvement since 1976, when the rate stood at just 55.33%. The country has sustained high literacy levels in recent years, reflecting decades of educational investment and expansion of access to schooling across the population. The steepest gains occurred between 1976 and 2000, during which literacy rose from 55.33% to 81.66%—a 26-point jump in 24 years. Growth moderated after 2000, with the remaining 9 percentage points added over the following two decades. The trajectory suggests Eswatini is approaching saturation in basic literacy achievement, with future gains likely to come through quality improvements rather than significant increases in enrollment rates.