Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411)
ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411): Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes was 77.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411), 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: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411) is 77.2%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 50 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.6% on the previous year and up 19.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411) peaked at 77.2% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 39.0%, in 1975.
That places ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411) 126th 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 50 years of available data.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411), year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 39.0% | — |
| 1976 | 39.0% | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 39.4% | +0.8% |
| 1978 | 39.7% | +0.8% |
| 1979 | 40.1% | +1.0% |
| 1980 | 40.4% | +0.8% |
| 1981 | 40.7% | +0.7% |
| 1982 | 41.1% | +1.0% |
| 1983 | 41.5% | +0.9% |
| 1984 | 41.9% | +1.0% |
| 1985 | 42.3% | +0.9% |
| 1986 | 42.7% | +0.9% |
| 1987 | 43.1% | +0.9% |
| 1988 | 45.0% | +4.5% |
| 1989 | 45.6% | +1.4% |
| 1990 | 46.2% | +1.1% |
| 1991 | 46.6% | +1.0% |
| 1992 | 47.2% | +1.1% |
| 1993 | 47.6% | +1.0% |
| 1994 | 48.8% | +2.6% |
| 1995 | 50.1% | +2.7% |
| 1996 | 50.8% | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 51.4% | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 54.7% | +6.5% |
| 1999 | 55.6% | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 56.3% | +1.2% |
| 2001 | 56.9% | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 57.6% | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 58.4% | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 59.1% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 59.8% | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 56.4% | -5.7% |
| 2007 | 57.0% | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 57.7% | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 58.1% | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 63.5% | +9.3% |
| 2011 | 64.1% | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 60.0% | -6.4% |
| 2013 | 63.7% | +6.1% |
| 2014 | 64.6% | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 69.0% | +6.7% |
| 2016 | 73.2% | +6.1% |
| 2017 | 73.7% | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 73.6% | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 74.3% | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 74.7% | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 75.5% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 76.2% | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 76.8% | +0.7% |
| 2024 | 77.2% | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 39.4% | 39.0% | 40.1% | 5 |
| 1980s | 42.4% | 40.4% | 45.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 49.9% | 46.2% | 55.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 57.7% | 56.3% | 59.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 68.0% | 60.0% | 74.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 76.1% | 74.7% | 77.2% | 5 |
More education data for ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 6.40 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.6243 % change on previous year (2020)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 14.10 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate -1.29 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 14.13 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate -0.4733 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 5.95 million (2021)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 0.8789 % change on previous year (2021)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 735,389 (2020)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 508,954 (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411)?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411) was 77.2% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411)?
- The highest recorded value was 77.2% in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411)?
- The lowest recorded value was 39.0% in 1975.
- How does ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411) rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes?
- ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411) ranks 126th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411) 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