Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in MDG: Southern Asia
MDG: Southern Asia: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes was 76.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in MDG: Southern Asia, 1975–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in MDG: Southern Asia stood at 76.5%. 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 10.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in MDG: Southern Asia peaked at 76.5% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 36.2%, in 1975.
That places MDG: Southern Asia 128th 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, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 36.2% | — |
| 1976 | 36.3% | +0.2% |
| 1977 | 37.0% | +1.9% |
| 1978 | 37.7% | +1.9% |
| 1979 | 38.3% | +1.8% |
| 1980 | 39.0% | +1.7% |
| 1981 | 39.6% | +1.6% |
| 1982 | 40.3% | +1.8% |
| 1983 | 41.1% | +1.8% |
| 1984 | 41.8% | +1.7% |
| 1985 | 42.4% | +1.6% |
| 1986 | 43.1% | +1.6% |
| 1987 | 43.8% | +1.6% |
| 1988 | 44.5% | +1.7% |
| 1989 | 45.3% | +1.8% |
| 1990 | 46.3% | +2.2% |
| 1991 | 47.0% | +1.6% |
| 1992 | 48.0% | +2.1% |
| 1993 | 49.0% | +2.0% |
| 1994 | 49.7% | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 50.6% | +1.8% |
| 1996 | 51.5% | +1.6% |
| 1997 | 52.3% | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 56.9% | +8.9% |
| 1999 | 57.8% | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 58.5% | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 59.4% | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 60.2% | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 61.2% | +1.5% |
| 2004 | 62.0% | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 61.9% | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 62.0% | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 62.8% | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 63.9% | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 64.7% | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 67.2% | +3.8% |
| 2011 | 67.6% | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 67.7% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 68.7% | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 69.4% | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 70.7% | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 72.0% | +1.8% |
| 2017 | 72.5% | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 73.0% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 72.9% | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 73.6% | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 74.4% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 75.2% | +1.1% |
| 2023 | 75.8% | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 76.5% | +0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 37.1% | 36.2% | 38.3% | 5 |
| 1980s | 42.1% | 39.0% | 45.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 50.9% | 46.3% | 57.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 61.7% | 58.5% | 64.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 70.2% | 67.2% | 73.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 75.1% | 73.6% | 76.5% | 5 |
More education data for MDG: Southern Asia
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 7.57 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -0.56 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 6.70 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 2.81 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 88.16 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.205 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 94.56 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate -1.26 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 54.48 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 28.18 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in MDG: Southern Asia?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in MDG: Southern Asia was 76.5% 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?
- The highest recorded value was 76.5% in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in MDG: Southern Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 36.2% in 1975.
- How does MDG: Southern Asia rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes?
- MDG: Southern Asia ranks 128th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in MDG: Southern Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this MDG: Southern Asia 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 50 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release