Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India)
MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India): Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female was 63.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India), 1989–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) is 63.0%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
That represents a change of up 3.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) peaked at 63.0% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 57.0%, in 1989.
That places MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) 75th out of 203 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 57.0% | — |
| 1990 | 57.0% | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 57.0% | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 58.0% | +1.8% |
| 1993 | 59.0% | +1.7% |
| 1994 | 59.0% | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 59.0% | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 59.0% | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 59.0% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 59.0% | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 59.0% | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 59.0% | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 59.0% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 59.0% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 61.0% | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 61.0% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 61.0% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 60.0% | -1.6% |
| 2007 | 59.0% | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 60.0% | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 60.0% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 61.0% | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 61.0% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 61.0% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 61.0% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 61.0% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 62.0% | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 63.0% | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 63.0% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 62.0% | -1.6% |
| 2019 | 62.0% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 62.0% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 62.0% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 63.0% | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 63.0% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 63.0% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 57.0% | 57.0% | 57.0% | 1 |
| 1990s | 58.5% | 57.0% | 59.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 59.9% | 59.0% | 61.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 61.7% | 61.0% | 63.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 62.6% | 62.0% | 63.0% | 5 |
More education data for MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 4.49 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 3.65 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.68 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate -0.7828 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 24.83 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 3.99 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 26.38 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 3.33 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 16.69 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 6.02 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India)?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) was 63.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female recorded in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India)?
- The highest recorded value was 63.0% in 2016.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female recorded in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India)?
- The lowest recorded value was 57.0% in 1989.
- How does MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female?
- MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) ranks 75th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female rising or falling in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release