Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: All Countries (unsdcode:98100)
ECA: All Countries (unsdcode:98100): Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes was 70.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: All Countries (unsdcode:98100), 1982–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
ECA: All Countries (unsdcode:98100) recorded 70.2% for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in 2024. That is the highest value across all 43 years on record.
The figure is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 6.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: All Countries (unsdcode:98100) peaked at 70.2% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 47.2%, in 1982.
ECA: All Countries (unsdcode:98100) ranks 154th of 203 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 43 years of available data.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: All Countries (unsdcode:98100), year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 47.2% | — |
| 1983 | 47.4% | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 47.9% | +1.1% |
| 1985 | 48.4% | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 49.0% | +1.1% |
| 1987 | 49.7% | +1.5% |
| 1988 | 50.4% | +1.3% |
| 1989 | 51.0% | +1.3% |
| 1990 | 51.8% | +1.5% |
| 1991 | 52.3% | +1.1% |
| 1992 | 53.0% | +1.2% |
| 1993 | 53.6% | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 54.3% | +1.3% |
| 1995 | 54.8% | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 55.6% | +1.3% |
| 1997 | 56.4% | +1.5% |
| 1998 | 57.2% | +1.4% |
| 1999 | 58.1% | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 57.4% | -1.2% |
| 2001 | 58.3% | +1.5% |
| 2002 | 59.0% | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 60.4% | +2.3% |
| 2004 | 61.1% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 61.0% | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 59.8% | -2.0% |
| 2007 | 59.7% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 60.2% | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 60.9% | +1.1% |
| 2010 | 61.5% | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 63.3% | +2.9% |
| 2012 | 64.5% | +1.9% |
| 2013 | 65.5% | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 65.8% | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 66.4% | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 66.3% | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 66.7% | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 68.3% | +2.5% |
| 2019 | 68.9% | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 69.2% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 69.2% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 69.6% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 69.9% | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 70.2% | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 48.9% | 47.2% | 51.0% | 8 |
| 1990s | 54.7% | 51.8% | 58.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 59.8% | 57.4% | 61.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 65.7% | 61.5% | 68.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 69.6% | 69.2% | 70.2% | 5 |
More education data for ECA: All Countries (unsdcode:98100)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 1.99 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 50.51 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 2.35 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 54.20 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.87 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 29.65 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 2.01 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 19.22 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 3.29 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 9.24 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: All Countries (unsdcode:98100)?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: All Countries (unsdcode:98100) was 70.2% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in ECA: All Countries (unsdcode:98100)?
- The highest recorded value was 70.2% in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in ECA: All Countries (unsdcode:98100)?
- The lowest recorded value was 47.2% in 1982.
- How does ECA: All Countries (unsdcode:98100) rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes?
- ECA: All Countries (unsdcode:98100) ranks 154th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in ECA: All Countries (unsdcode:98100)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ECA: All Countries (unsdcode:98100) 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