Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia
SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes was 83.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia, 1977–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia stood at 83.7%. That is the highest value across all 48 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 2.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia peaked at 83.7% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 55.9%, in 1977.
That places SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia 93rd 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 48 years of available data.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 55.9% | — |
| 1978 | 56.5% | +0.9% |
| 1979 | 56.8% | +0.6% |
| 1980 | 57.4% | +1.0% |
| 1981 | 58.0% | +1.0% |
| 1982 | 58.7% | +1.2% |
| 1983 | 59.0% | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 60.9% | +3.3% |
| 1985 | 61.6% | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 62.3% | +1.1% |
| 1987 | 63.0% | +1.1% |
| 1988 | 63.8% | +1.3% |
| 1989 | 64.5% | +1.0% |
| 1990 | 65.3% | +1.3% |
| 1991 | 66.0% | +1.0% |
| 1992 | 66.6% | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 67.1% | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 67.6% | +0.8% |
| 1995 | 68.2% | +0.9% |
| 1996 | 68.9% | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 69.7% | +1.0% |
| 1998 | 70.4% | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 71.2% | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 71.9% | +1.1% |
| 2001 | 72.8% | +1.2% |
| 2002 | 73.6% | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 75.7% | +2.9% |
| 2004 | 76.4% | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 77.0% | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 75.2% | -2.4% |
| 2007 | 75.8% | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 76.5% | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 77.7% | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 78.5% | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 80.1% | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 80.8% | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 81.6% | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 81.7% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 82.4% | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 81.4% | -1.2% |
| 2017 | 81.9% | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 82.2% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 82.4% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 82.7% | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 82.9% | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 83.2% | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 83.4% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 83.7% | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 56.4% | 55.9% | 56.8% | 3 |
| 1980s | 60.9% | 57.4% | 64.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 68.1% | 65.3% | 71.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 75.3% | 71.9% | 77.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 81.3% | 78.5% | 82.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 83.2% | 82.7% | 83.7% | 5 |
More education data for SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 32.09 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 0.2663 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 4.45 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 9.09 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 61.67 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.5703 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 29.58 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.7875 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.19 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 26.40 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia was 83.7% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 83.7% in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 55.9% in 1977.
- How does SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes?
- SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia ranks 93rd out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this SDG: Northern Africa and Western 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