Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in UIS: Arab States
UIS: Arab States: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes was 79.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in UIS: Arab States, 1979–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in UIS: Arab States is 79.7%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 46 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 3.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in UIS: Arab States peaked at 79.7% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 49.3%, in 1979.
UIS: Arab States ranks 106th of 203 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 46 years of available data.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in UIS: Arab States, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 49.3% | — |
| 1980 | 49.8% | +1.0% |
| 1981 | 50.3% | +1.0% |
| 1982 | 51.0% | +1.4% |
| 1983 | 51.1% | +0.2% |
| 1984 | 51.9% | +1.5% |
| 1985 | 52.6% | +1.4% |
| 1986 | 53.3% | +1.4% |
| 1987 | 54.1% | +1.4% |
| 1988 | 55.0% | +1.7% |
| 1989 | 55.9% | +1.7% |
| 1990 | 56.9% | +1.7% |
| 1991 | 57.8% | +1.6% |
| 1992 | 58.6% | +1.5% |
| 1993 | 59.3% | +1.1% |
| 1994 | 60.1% | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 61.0% | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 62.0% | +1.7% |
| 1997 | 63.0% | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 64.1% | +1.8% |
| 1999 | 65.1% | +1.5% |
| 2000 | 66.0% | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 67.1% | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 68.2% | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 70.9% | +4.0% |
| 2004 | 71.8% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 72.4% | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 70.0% | -3.2% |
| 2007 | 70.9% | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 71.7% | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 72.8% | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 73.4% | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 75.2% | +2.4% |
| 2012 | 76.0% | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 77.1% | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 77.2% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 78.0% | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 76.7% | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 77.4% | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 77.7% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 78.0% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 78.4% | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 78.7% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 79.0% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 79.4% | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 79.7% | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 49.3% | 49.3% | 49.3% | 1 |
| 1980s | 52.5% | 49.8% | 55.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 60.8% | 56.9% | 65.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 70.2% | 66.0% | 72.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 76.7% | 73.4% | 78.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 79.0% | 78.4% | 79.7% | 5 |
More education data for UIS: Arab States
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 7.02 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 19.66 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 2.18 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 20.94 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.7 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 6.30 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 0.6559 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 14.51 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 7.10 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 6.96 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in UIS: Arab States?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in UIS: Arab States was 79.7% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in UIS: Arab States?
- The highest recorded value was 79.7% in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in UIS: Arab States?
- The lowest recorded value was 49.3% in 1979.
- How does UIS: Arab States rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes?
- UIS: Arab States ranks 106th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in UIS: Arab States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this UIS: Arab States 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