Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in SDG: Central and Southern Asia
SDG: Central and Southern Asia: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes was 77.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in SDG: Central and Southern Asia, 1975–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
SDG: Central and Southern Asia 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.
Compared with earlier readings it 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 SDG: Central and Southern Asia peaked at 77.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 38.6%, in 1975.
That places SDG: Central and Southern Asia 125th 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 SDG: Central and Southern Asia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 38.6% | — |
| 1976 | 38.7% | +0.2% |
| 1977 | 39.4% | +1.7% |
| 1978 | 40.0% | +1.7% |
| 1979 | 40.7% | +1.6% |
| 1980 | 41.3% | +1.5% |
| 1981 | 41.9% | +1.5% |
| 1982 | 42.6% | +1.6% |
| 1983 | 43.3% | +1.7% |
| 1984 | 44.0% | +1.5% |
| 1985 | 44.6% | +1.5% |
| 1986 | 45.3% | +1.5% |
| 1987 | 46.0% | +1.5% |
| 1988 | 46.6% | +1.5% |
| 1989 | 47.4% | +1.6% |
| 1990 | 48.4% | +2.1% |
| 1991 | 49.1% | +1.4% |
| 1992 | 50.0% | +1.9% |
| 1993 | 51.0% | +1.9% |
| 1994 | 51.7% | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 52.5% | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 53.3% | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 54.1% | +1.5% |
| 1998 | 58.6% | +8.3% |
| 1999 | 59.3% | +1.3% |
| 2000 | 60.1% | +1.3% |
| 2001 | 60.9% | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 61.7% | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 62.6% | +1.5% |
| 2004 | 63.4% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 63.3% | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 63.4% | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 64.2% | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 65.2% | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 66.1% | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 68.4% | +3.6% |
| 2011 | 68.8% | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 68.9% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 69.8% | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 70.5% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 71.8% | +1.8% |
| 2016 | 73.0% | +1.7% |
| 2017 | 73.5% | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 74.0% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 73.9% | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 74.5% | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 75.3% | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 76.1% | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 76.7% | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 77.4% | +0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 39.5% | 38.6% | 40.7% | 5 |
| 1980s | 44.3% | 41.3% | 47.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 52.8% | 48.4% | 59.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 63.1% | 60.1% | 66.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 71.3% | 68.4% | 74.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 76.0% | 74.5% | 77.4% | 5 |
More education data for SDG: Central and Southern Asia
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 92.92 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 58.28 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate -1.08 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 99.66 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.3161 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7.04 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 192.58 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -0.4111 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 8.99 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 2.87 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in SDG: Central and Southern Asia?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in SDG: Central and Southern Asia 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 SDG: Central and Southern Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 77.4% in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in SDG: Central and Southern Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 38.6% in 1975.
- How does SDG: Central and Southern Asia rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes?
- SDG: Central and Southern Asia ranks 125th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in SDG: Central and Southern Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this SDG: Central and 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.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release