Bangladesh vs India: Literacy rate, adult total

Bangladesh
79.0%
in 2022
India
78.2%
in 2024
Bangladesh rank
59th
India rank
62nd

Literacy rate, adult total over time

  • Bangladesh
  • India
020406080198120022024

How they compare

Bangladesh currently reports 79.0% against 78.2% in India, a difference of 0.8%.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 10 shared years of data; in 1981 it was India ahead.

Bangladesh ranks 59th and India ranks 62nd of 89 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, Bangladesh averaged higher in 1 and India in 4.

Head to head by decade

Decade Bangladesh India Difference Ahead
1980s 29.2% 40.8% 11.5% India
1990s 35.3% 48.2% 12.9% India
2000s 47.5% 61.0% 13.5% India
2010s 66.3% 71.9% 5.6% India
2020s 76.8% 76.0% 0.8% Bangladesh

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher literacy rate, adult total, Bangladesh or India?
Bangladesh, at 79.0% against 78.2% in India as of 2022.
What is the difference in literacy rate, adult total between Bangladesh and India?
0.8%, with Bangladesh ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Bangladesh and India?
10 years are reported by both, from 1981 to 2022.
How do Bangladesh and India rank globally for literacy rate, adult total?
Bangladesh ranks 59th and India ranks 62nd of 89 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Bangladesh vs India: Literacy rate, adult total. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 19 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/literacy-rate-adult-total-percent-of-people-ages-15-and-above/bangladesh/india/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above)
Unit
% of people ages 15 and above
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
128 places, 2,592 data points, 1973–2024
Last refreshed

Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.