Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ESCWA: Arab Countries (unsdcode:98501)
ESCWA: Arab Countries (unsdcode:98501): Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes was 79.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ESCWA: Arab Countries (unsdcode:98501), 1979–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
ESCWA: Arab Countries (unsdcode:98501) recorded 79.0% for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in 2024. That is the highest value across all 46 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 3.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ESCWA: Arab Countries (unsdcode:98501) peaked at 79.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 48.3%, in 1979.
That places ESCWA: Arab Countries (unsdcode:98501) 111th 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 46 years of available data.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ESCWA: Arab Countries (unsdcode:98501), year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 48.3% | — |
| 1980 | 48.9% | +1.1% |
| 1981 | 49.4% | +1.1% |
| 1982 | 50.1% | +1.4% |
| 1983 | 50.2% | +0.2% |
| 1984 | 51.0% | +1.5% |
| 1985 | 51.7% | +1.5% |
| 1986 | 52.4% | +1.4% |
| 1987 | 53.2% | +1.4% |
| 1988 | 54.1% | +1.7% |
| 1989 | 55.0% | +1.7% |
| 1990 | 56.0% | +1.8% |
| 1991 | 56.9% | +1.6% |
| 1992 | 57.9% | +1.7% |
| 1993 | 58.5% | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 59.3% | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 60.2% | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 61.2% | +1.7% |
| 1997 | 62.2% | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 63.3% | +1.8% |
| 1999 | 64.2% | +1.5% |
| 2000 | 65.2% | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 66.2% | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 67.3% | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 70.0% | +4.0% |
| 2004 | 70.9% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 71.4% | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 69.2% | -3.1% |
| 2007 | 70.0% | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 70.9% | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 72.0% | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 72.6% | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 74.3% | +2.4% |
| 2012 | 75.2% | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 76.2% | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 76.3% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 77.2% | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 75.9% | -1.6% |
| 2017 | 76.6% | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 76.9% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 77.2% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 77.6% | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 77.9% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 78.3% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 78.6% | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 79.0% | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 48.3% | 48.3% | 48.3% | 1 |
| 1980s | 51.6% | 48.9% | 55.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 60.0% | 56.0% | 64.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 69.3% | 65.2% | 72.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 75.8% | 72.6% | 77.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 78.3% | 77.6% | 79.0% | 5 |
More education data for ESCWA: Arab Countries (unsdcode:98501)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 40.79 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 2.17 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 19.75 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 2.99 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 2.58 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 1.92 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.06 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.7891 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 26.65 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 21.05 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ESCWA: Arab Countries (unsdcode:98501)?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ESCWA: Arab Countries (unsdcode:98501) was 79.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in ESCWA: Arab Countries (unsdcode:98501)?
- The highest recorded value was 79.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in ESCWA: Arab Countries (unsdcode:98501)?
- The lowest recorded value was 48.3% in 1979.
- How does ESCWA: Arab Countries (unsdcode:98501) rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes?
- ESCWA: Arab Countries (unsdcode:98501) ranks 111th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in ESCWA: Arab Countries (unsdcode:98501)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ESCWA: Arab Countries (unsdcode:98501) 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