Society · Adult literacy rate · Tunisia
Tunisia’s adult literacy rate was 86.3% of adults in 2023.
86.3% of adults
2023
Up 2.6 pp from 2021.
Stale — last updated 18 Oct 2026
In plain words
86.3% of adults
What it is. The adult literacy rate counts the share of adults who can read and write a short, simple statement about everyday life. It sets a basic threshold, so longer documents and numeracy fall outside it. Because it covers the whole adult population, it moves slowly, rising as younger people who went through school replace older generations.
Higher is better. A higher rate means more adults can handle written material in daily life, which widens access to jobs, public services and information. Tunisia's latest figure, for 2023, is 86.3% of adults. That is the highest in its range since 2007, when the rate stood at 77.2% of adults. The rate has gained roughly nine points over that span.
Why it matters. At 86.3% of adults, most Tunisian households can manage official forms and written contracts without help. Employers can draw on a workforce that mostly has the basic skills needed for training. The adults outside that share are likelier to need assistance with paperwork, so the state has to reach them through adult education and in-person services.
| Period | Adult literacy rate · Tunisia |
|---|---|
| 2007 | 77.2% of adults |
| 2008 | 77.7% of adults |
| 2010 | 79.1% of adults |
| 2011 | 79.7% of adults |
| 2012 | 80.2% of adults |
| 2014 | 79% of adults |
| 2018 | 79.5% of adults |
| 2019 | 80.6% of adults |
| 2021 | 83.7% of adults |
| 2023 | 86.3% of adults |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0) · Licence: CC BY 4.0
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Strata-AF™ Data, Adult literacy rate, Tunisia, 2023; source World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0), retrieved 18 Oct 2026; https://data.strata-af.com/society/adult-literacy/tunisia
Data insights · Worked out from the published figures
What this means
Working this out from the published figures…
Strata AI commentary is coming — reviewed, dated, and generated only from the figures on this page.
Methodology
People aged 15 and over who can read and write a short, simple statement about everyday life, as a share of that age group. Unit: % of adults. Literacy is measured in surveys and censuses, so new figures arrive every few years.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (series SE.ADT.LITR.ZS), retrieved through the World Bank API and published under CC BY 4.0. Updated annually; the World Bank's own source notes apply.