Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in Iran, Islamic Republic of

Iran, Islamic Republic of: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female was 5.76 million number in 2016. ▼ Falling

Latest (2016)
5.76 million number
Change on year
down 2.5%
World rank
9th
of 87 countries
All-time high
7.69 million number
in 1986
All-time low
5.76 million number
in 2016
Years of data
12
1976–2016

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in Iran, Islamic Republic of, 1976–2016

02.0M4.0M6.0M8.0M1976199620161976: 7.0M number1986: 7.7M number1991: 6.8M number1996: 6.2M number2002: 6.8M number2005: 5.8M number2006: 5.9M number2008: 6.0M number2012: 6.2M number2013: 5.9M number2014: 5.9M number2016: 5.8M number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

The most recent figure for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in Iran, Islamic Republic of is 5.76 million number, measured in 2016. That is the lowest value across all 12 years on record.

The figure is down 2.5% on the previous year and down 1.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in Iran, Islamic Republic of peaked at 7.69 million number in 1986 and was at its lowest, 5.76 million number, in 2016.

Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 9th of 87 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 12 years of available data.

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in Iran, Islamic Republic of, year by year

Annual values for Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female (number) in Iran, Islamic Republic of, 1976 to 2016.
Year number Change
1976 7.03 million number
1986 7.69 million number +9.3%
1991 6.82 million number -11.3%
1996 6.22 million number -8.8%
2002 6.77 million number +8.8%
2005 5.82 million number -14.1%
2006 5.85 million number +0.6%
2008 6.00 million number +2.6%
2012 6.19 million number +3.2%
2013 5.87 million number -5.1%
2014 5.91 million number +0.7%
2016 5.76 million number -2.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 7.03 million number 7.03 million number 7.03 million number 1
1980s 7.69 million number 7.69 million number 7.69 million number 1
1990s 6.52 million number 6.22 million number 6.82 million number 2
2000s 6.11 million number 5.82 million number 6.77 million number 4
2010s 5.93 million number 5.76 million number 6.19 million number 4

Countries ranked near Iran, Islamic Republic of

  1. 6 Bangladesh 16.51 million number compare
  2. 7 Egypt 11.01 million number compare
  3. 8 Indonesia 5.90 million number compare
  4. 10 Brazil 5.56 million number compare
  5. 11 Morocco 4.74 million number compare
  6. 12 Nepal 4.46 million number compare

See the full ranking of 126 places →

More education data for Iran, Islamic Republic of

All data for Iran, Islamic Republic of →

Frequently asked questions

What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in Iran, Islamic Republic of was 5.76 million number in 2016, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female recorded in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
The highest recorded value was 7.69 million number in 1986.
What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female recorded in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
The lowest recorded value was 5.76 million number in 2016.
How does Iran, Islamic Republic of rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female?
Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 9th out of 87 countries with data for 2016.
Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female rising or falling in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
Over the last ten years it is down 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Iran, Islamic Republic of data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in Iran, Islamic Republic of. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/adult-illiterate-population-15-years-female-number/iran-islamic-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
126 places, 2,268 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Total number of females over age 15 who cannot both read and write with understanding a short simple statement on their everyday life.