Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ALECSO: Least Developed Countries
ALECSO: Least Developed Countries: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes was 57.4% in 2018. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ALECSO: Least Developed Countries, 1991–2018
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
ALECSO: Least Developed Countries recorded 57.4% for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in 2018.
That represents a change of up 1.0% on the previous year and up 9.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ALECSO: Least Developed Countries peaked at 58.6% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 44.7%, in 1991.
ALECSO: Least Developed Countries ranks 201st of 203 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ALECSO: Least Developed Countries, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 44.7% | — |
| 1992 | 45.5% | +1.9% |
| 1993 | 46.2% | +1.4% |
| 1994 | 46.6% | +0.9% |
| 1995 | 47.2% | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 48.4% | +2.5% |
| 1997 | 49.6% | +2.5% |
| 1998 | 50.8% | +2.4% |
| 1999 | 52.0% | +2.3% |
| 2000 | 53.2% | +2.3% |
| 2001 | 54.4% | +2.3% |
| 2002 | 55.6% | +2.2% |
| 2003 | 56.8% | +2.1% |
| 2004 | 58.0% | +2.1% |
| 2005 | 58.6% | +1.1% |
| 2006 | 51.3% | -12.5% |
| 2007 | 51.8% | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 52.4% | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 52.7% | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 53.2% | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 53.8% | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 54.3% | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 54.8% | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 55.8% | +1.8% |
| 2016 | 56.3% | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 56.8% | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 57.4% | +1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 47.9% | 44.7% | 52.0% | 9 |
| 2000s | 54.5% | 51.3% | 58.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 55.3% | 53.2% | 57.4% | 8 |
More education data for ALECSO: Least Developed Countries
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 633,128 (2020)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 378,880 (2020)
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 226,596 (2020)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 2.63 % change on previous year (2016)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 13.6 % change on previous year (2020)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.75 million (2020)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 11.6 % change on previous year (2020)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.25 million (2020)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 2.84 % change on previous year (2020)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 1.01 million (2016)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ALECSO: Least Developed Countries?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ALECSO: Least Developed Countries was 57.4% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in ALECSO: Least Developed Countries?
- The highest recorded value was 58.6% in 2005.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in ALECSO: Least Developed Countries?
- The lowest recorded value was 44.7% in 1991.
- How does ALECSO: Least Developed Countries rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes?
- ALECSO: Least Developed Countries ranks 201st out of 203 groups with data for 2018.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in ALECSO: Least Developed Countries?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ALECSO: Least Developed Countries data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release