Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400)
ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400): Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes was 88.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400), 1975–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400) is 88.7%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 50 years on record.
The figure is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 3.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400) peaked at 88.7% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 57.4%, in 1975.
ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400) ranks 73rd of 203 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 50 years of available data.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400), year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 57.4% | — |
| 1976 | 57.5% | +0.2% |
| 1977 | 57.9% | +0.7% |
| 1978 | 58.8% | +1.5% |
| 1979 | 59.7% | +1.6% |
| 1980 | 60.6% | +1.4% |
| 1981 | 61.4% | +1.3% |
| 1982 | 62.2% | +1.3% |
| 1983 | 63.0% | +1.3% |
| 1984 | 63.9% | +1.4% |
| 1985 | 64.7% | +1.2% |
| 1986 | 65.4% | +1.1% |
| 1987 | 66.3% | +1.4% |
| 1988 | 68.6% | +3.5% |
| 1989 | 69.3% | +0.9% |
| 1990 | 70.0% | +1.0% |
| 1991 | 70.6% | +0.9% |
| 1992 | 71.2% | +0.9% |
| 1993 | 71.9% | +0.9% |
| 1994 | 72.5% | +0.9% |
| 1995 | 73.2% | +0.9% |
| 1996 | 73.8% | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 76.9% | +4.3% |
| 1998 | 78.8% | +2.5% |
| 1999 | 79.3% | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 79.8% | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 80.2% | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 80.6% | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 81.1% | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 81.5% | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 81.7% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 81.9% | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 82.7% | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 83.2% | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 83.7% | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 84.5% | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 84.7% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 84.8% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 85.2% | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 85.6% | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 86.2% | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 86.7% | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 87.0% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 87.2% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 87.1% | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 87.5% | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 87.8% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 88.1% | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 88.4% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 88.7% | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 58.3% | 57.4% | 59.7% | 5 |
| 1980s | 64.5% | 60.6% | 69.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 73.8% | 70.0% | 79.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 81.7% | 79.8% | 83.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 85.9% | 84.5% | 87.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 88.1% | 87.5% | 88.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400)
More education data for ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.3795 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 203.58 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.6175 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 187.37 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 1.15 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 18.70 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 216.89 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 198.15 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 2.56 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.1619 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400)?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400) was 88.7% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400)?
- The highest recorded value was 88.7% in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400)?
- The lowest recorded value was 57.4% in 1975.
- How does ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400) rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes?
- ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400) ranks 73rd out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400) 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