South Asia vs Turkey: Literacy rate, adult total

South Asia
78.2%
in 2024
Turkey
97.3%
in 2021
South Asia rank
25th
Turkey rank
23rd

Literacy rate, adult total over time

  • South Asia
  • Turkey
020406080100197519992024

How they compare

Turkey currently reports 97.3% against 78.2% in South Asia, a difference of 19.1%.

That makes Turkey's figure about 1.2 times South Asia's.

Across all 19 years both countries report, Turkey has been ahead every year.

South Asia ranks 25th and Turkey ranks 23rd of 39 groups.

Turkey has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade South Asia Turkey Difference Ahead
1970s 37.4% 61.6% 24.2% Turkey
1980s 41.8% 70.8% 29.1% Turkey
1990s 47.0% 79.2% 32.2% Turkey
2000s 63.2% 88.6% 25.4% Turkey
2010s 71.0% 95.2% 24.1% Turkey
2020s 76.1% 97.3% 21.2% Turkey

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher literacy rate, adult total, South Asia or Turkey?
Turkey, at 97.3% against 78.2% in South Asia as of 2021.
What is the difference in literacy rate, adult total between South Asia and Turkey?
19.1%, with Turkey ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for South Asia and Turkey?
19 years are reported by both, from 1975 to 2021.
How do South Asia and Turkey rank globally for literacy rate, adult total?
South Asia ranks 25th and Turkey ranks 23rd of 39 groups.
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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South Asia vs Turkey: Literacy rate, adult total. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/literacy-rate-adult-total-percent-of-people-ages-15-and-above/south-asia/turkiye/

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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.