Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India)
MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India): Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes was 72.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India), 1975–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) recorded 72.6% 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 0.8% on the previous year and up 14.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) peaked at 72.6% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 30.3%, in 1975.
That places MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) 145th 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 MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India), year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 30.3% | — |
| 1976 | 30.6% | +0.9% |
| 1977 | 31.2% | +2.0% |
| 1978 | 31.8% | +2.0% |
| 1979 | 32.4% | +1.9% |
| 1980 | 32.9% | +1.7% |
| 1981 | 33.4% | +1.5% |
| 1982 | 34.1% | +2.0% |
| 1983 | 35.0% | +2.6% |
| 1984 | 35.5% | +1.7% |
| 1985 | 36.1% | +1.6% |
| 1986 | 36.7% | +1.7% |
| 1987 | 37.3% | +1.6% |
| 1988 | 38.9% | +4.1% |
| 1989 | 39.6% | +1.9% |
| 1990 | 41.3% | +4.4% |
| 1991 | 42.0% | +1.5% |
| 1992 | 43.6% | +3.9% |
| 1993 | 45.2% | +3.6% |
| 1994 | 45.8% | +1.3% |
| 1995 | 46.9% | +2.5% |
| 1996 | 47.8% | +1.9% |
| 1997 | 48.6% | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 51.2% | +5.2% |
| 1999 | 52.2% | +2.0% |
| 2000 | 53.1% | +1.8% |
| 2001 | 54.0% | +1.8% |
| 2002 | 55.0% | +1.7% |
| 2003 | 56.3% | +2.4% |
| 2004 | 57.2% | +1.6% |
| 2005 | 58.1% | +1.6% |
| 2006 | 56.4% | -3.0% |
| 2007 | 57.1% | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 58.8% | +2.9% |
| 2009 | 59.6% | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 63.2% | +6.1% |
| 2011 | 62.5% | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 61.0% | -2.5% |
| 2013 | 62.5% | +2.6% |
| 2014 | 63.2% | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 66.0% | +4.3% |
| 2016 | 68.7% | +4.1% |
| 2017 | 68.8% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 68.9% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 69.4% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 69.9% | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 70.7% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 71.4% | +1.1% |
| 2023 | 72.0% | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 72.6% | +0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 31.2% | 30.3% | 32.4% | 5 |
| 1980s | 36.0% | 32.9% | 39.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 46.4% | 41.3% | 52.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 56.6% | 53.1% | 59.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 65.4% | 61.0% | 69.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 71.3% | 69.9% | 72.6% | 5 |
More education data for MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 4.49 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 3.65 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.68 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate -0.7828 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 24.83 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 3.99 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 26.38 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 3.33 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 16.69 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 6.02 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India)?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) was 72.6% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India)?
- The highest recorded value was 72.6% in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India)?
- The lowest recorded value was 30.3% in 1975.
- How does MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes?
- MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) ranks 145th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) 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