Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in GPE: South Asia Wb Fy24, December 2024
GPE: South Asia Wb Fy24, December 2024: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes was 69.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in GPE: South Asia Wb Fy24, December 2024, 1975–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
GPE: South Asia Wb Fy24, December 2024 recorded 69.1% for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in 2024. That is the highest value across all 50 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.9% on the previous year and up 18.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in GPE: South Asia Wb Fy24, December 2024 peaked at 69.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 29.2%, in 1975.
GPE: South Asia Wb Fy24, December 2024 ranks 161st of 203 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 50 years of available data.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in GPE: South Asia Wb Fy24, December 2024, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 29.2% | — |
| 1976 | 29.2% | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 29.7% | +1.6% |
| 1978 | 30.1% | +1.6% |
| 1979 | 30.6% | +1.5% |
| 1980 | 31.0% | +1.2% |
| 1981 | 31.3% | +1.0% |
| 1982 | 31.7% | +1.4% |
| 1983 | 32.2% | +1.4% |
| 1984 | 32.6% | +1.4% |
| 1985 | 33.0% | +1.3% |
| 1986 | 33.5% | +1.4% |
| 1987 | 34.0% | +1.4% |
| 1988 | 35.5% | +4.6% |
| 1989 | 36.2% | +1.8% |
| 1990 | 36.7% | +1.5% |
| 1991 | 37.2% | +1.3% |
| 1992 | 38.9% | +4.6% |
| 1993 | 40.6% | +4.4% |
| 1994 | 41.3% | +1.7% |
| 1995 | 42.1% | +1.8% |
| 1996 | 42.9% | +1.9% |
| 1997 | 43.6% | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 46.3% | +6.2% |
| 1999 | 47.2% | +1.9% |
| 2000 | 48.0% | +1.7% |
| 2001 | 48.9% | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 49.7% | +1.7% |
| 2003 | 51.0% | +2.6% |
| 2004 | 51.8% | +1.6% |
| 2005 | 52.6% | +1.6% |
| 2006 | 50.6% | -3.9% |
| 2007 | 51.3% | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 52.4% | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 53.3% | +1.8% |
| 2010 | 57.7% | +8.2% |
| 2011 | 57.8% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 55.6% | -3.7% |
| 2013 | 57.6% | +3.5% |
| 2014 | 58.4% | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 61.6% | +5.6% |
| 2016 | 64.9% | +5.3% |
| 2017 | 65.0% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 65.0% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 65.5% | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 66.1% | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 67.0% | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 67.8% | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 68.5% | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 69.1% | +0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 29.8% | 29.2% | 30.6% | 5 |
| 1980s | 33.1% | 31.0% | 36.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 41.7% | 36.7% | 47.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 50.9% | 48.0% | 53.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 60.9% | 55.6% | 65.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 67.7% | 66.1% | 69.1% | 5 |
More education data for GPE: South Asia Wb Fy24, December 2024
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 5.23 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 3.86 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.41 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate -1.22 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 21.54 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 4.26 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 22.89 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 3.49 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 15.74 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 4.26 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in GPE: South Asia Wb Fy24, December 2024?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in GPE: South Asia Wb Fy24, December 2024 was 69.1% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in GPE: South Asia Wb Fy24, December 2024?
- The highest recorded value was 69.1% in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in GPE: South Asia Wb Fy24, December 2024?
- The lowest recorded value was 29.2% in 1975.
- How does GPE: South Asia Wb Fy24, December 2024 rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes?
- GPE: South Asia Wb Fy24, December 2024 ranks 161st out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in GPE: South Asia Wb Fy24, December 2024?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this GPE: South Asia Wb Fy24, December 2024 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