Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420)
ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420): Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes was 77.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420), 1975–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420) recorded 77.4% for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in 2024. That is the highest value across all 50 years on record.
The figure is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 9.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420) peaked at 77.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 37.5%, in 1975.
That places ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420) 124th 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: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420), year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 37.5% | — |
| 1976 | 37.6% | +0.3% |
| 1977 | 38.3% | +1.9% |
| 1978 | 39.0% | +1.9% |
| 1979 | 39.7% | +1.7% |
| 1980 | 40.4% | +1.7% |
| 1981 | 41.0% | +1.6% |
| 1982 | 41.7% | +1.8% |
| 1983 | 42.5% | +1.8% |
| 1984 | 43.5% | +2.3% |
| 1985 | 44.1% | +1.6% |
| 1986 | 44.8% | +1.6% |
| 1987 | 45.5% | +1.5% |
| 1988 | 46.2% | +1.6% |
| 1989 | 47.0% | +1.6% |
| 1990 | 48.0% | +2.1% |
| 1991 | 48.7% | +1.5% |
| 1992 | 49.7% | +1.9% |
| 1993 | 50.6% | +1.9% |
| 1994 | 51.3% | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 52.2% | +1.7% |
| 1996 | 53.0% | +1.6% |
| 1997 | 53.8% | +1.5% |
| 1998 | 58.2% | +8.3% |
| 1999 | 59.0% | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 59.8% | +1.3% |
| 2001 | 60.6% | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 61.5% | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 62.4% | +1.5% |
| 2004 | 63.1% | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 63.1% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 63.2% | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 64.0% | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 65.0% | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 65.9% | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 68.4% | +3.7% |
| 2011 | 68.8% | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 68.9% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 69.8% | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 70.5% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 71.8% | +1.8% |
| 2016 | 73.0% | +1.7% |
| 2017 | 73.6% | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 74.1% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 73.9% | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 74.6% | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 75.4% | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 76.2% | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 76.8% | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 77.4% | +0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 38.4% | 37.5% | 39.7% | 5 |
| 1980s | 43.7% | 40.4% | 47.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 52.5% | 48.0% | 59.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 62.9% | 59.8% | 65.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 71.3% | 68.4% | 74.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 76.1% | 74.6% | 77.4% | 5 |
More education data for ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -0.5261 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 100.71 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.1925 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 93.84 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 2.69 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7.01 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 108.65 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 3.99 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 4.46 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate -1.19 % change on previous year (2024)
All data for ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420)?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420) was 77.4% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420)?
- The highest recorded value was 77.4% in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420)?
- The lowest recorded value was 37.5% in 1975.
- How does ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420) rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes?
- ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420) ranks 124th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420) 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