Education in Santa Cruz, Bolivia: official figures
The literacy rate for people aged 15 and over in Santa Cruz was 97.6% in the 2024 census, up from 97.4% in 2012 and above the national figure of 95.9% (2nd highest of 9 departments).
Is there a gender gap in literacy in Santa Cruz?
Literacy among men aged 15 and over in Santa Cruz was 98.5% and among women 96.6% in 2024, a gap of 1.9 percentage points.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), Bolivia · saved copyHow many years of schooling do adults in Santa Cruz have?
Adults aged 19 and over in Santa Cruz had 10.8 years of schooling on average in 2024, up from 9.5 years in 2012 and above the national figure of 10.6 years (3rd highest of 9 departments).
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), Bolivia · saved copyDo women in Santa Cruz get less schooling than men?
Average schooling among adults aged 19 and over in Santa Cruz was 10.9 years for men and 10.8 years for women in 2024.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), Bolivia · saved copyHow many adults in Santa Cruz have no schooling?
3.1% of adults aged 19 and over in Santa Cruz had no formal schooling in 2024, down from 4.1% in 2012 and below the national figure of 4.9% (2nd lowest of 9 departments).
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), Bolivia · saved copyHow many adults in Santa Cruz have a university education?
32.2% of adults aged 19 and over in Santa Cruz had reached higher education in 2024, up from 23.8% in 2012 and below the national figure of 33.4% (4th lowest of 9 departments).
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), Bolivia · saved copyHow Santa Cruz compares with other departments
Literacy rate, 15 and over (2024)
Santa Cruz ranks 2 of 9, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Literacy rate, 15 and over |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pando | 98.0% |
| 2 | Santa Cruz | 97.6% |
| 3 | Oruro | 97.1% |
| 4 | Beni | 96.8% |
| 5 | La Paz | 96.6% |
| 6 | Cochabamba | 95.2% |
| 7 | Tarija | 94.8% |
School attendance, ages 4 to 17 (2024)
Santa Cruz ranks 8 of 9, highest first.
| Rank | Region | School attendance, ages 4 to 17 |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Tarija | 95.2% |
| 4 | Cochabamba | 95.0% |
| 5 | Potosi | 94.8% |
| 6 | Pando | 94.0% |
| 7 | Chuquisaca | 92.6% |
| 8 | Santa Cruz | 92.2% |
| 9 | Beni | 92.0% |
Average years of schooling, 19 and over (2024)
Santa Cruz ranks 3 of 9, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Average years of schooling, 19 and over |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oruro | 11.2 years |
| 2 | La Paz | 11.0 years |
| 3 | Santa Cruz | 10.8 years |
| 4 | Pando | 10.7 years |
| 5 | Cochabamba | 10.4 years |
| 6 | Beni | 10.4 years |
| 7 | Tarija | 10.2 years |
Adults with no formal schooling (2024)
Santa Cruz ranks 8 of 9, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Adults with no formal schooling |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Tarija | 5.8% |
| 4 | Cochabamba | 5.4% |
| 5 | La Paz | 4.2% |
| 6 | Beni | 3.9% |
| 7 | Oruro | 3.4% |
| 8 | Santa Cruz | 3.1% |
| 9 | Pando | 3.0% |
Adults with higher education (2024)
Santa Cruz ranks 6 of 9, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Adults with higher education |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Chuquisaca | 35.1% |
| 4 | Tarija | 34.7% |
| 5 | La Paz | 34.5% |
| 6 | Santa Cruz | 32.2% |
| 7 | Pando | 28.8% |
| 8 | Potosi | 26.9% |
| 9 | Beni | 26.9% |
More on Santa Cruz: overview · economy and jobs · health · poverty and living standards · Bolivia
Sources
- Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), Bolivia: Censo 2024, tabulados de Educacion: literacy, school attendance, level of instruction and years of study (cuadros 1 to 4), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 40d32703b5ac…)
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