Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: Europe and Central Asia Programme Countries
UNICEF: Europe and Central Asia Programme Countries: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes was 99.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: Europe and Central Asia Programme Countries, 1987–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: Europe and Central Asia Programme Countries stood at 99.0%. That is the highest value across all 38 years on record.
The figure is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 0.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: Europe and Central Asia Programme Countries peaked at 99.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 92.6%, in 1987.
UNICEF: Europe and Central Asia Programme Countries ranks 15th of 203 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 38 years of available data.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: Europe and Central Asia Programme Countries, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 92.6% | — |
| 1988 | 92.8% | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 93.0% | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 93.2% | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 93.4% | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 93.6% | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 93.8% | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 94.0% | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 94.2% | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 94.5% | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 94.7% | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 95.0% | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 95.1% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 95.4% | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 95.5% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 95.7% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 95.8% | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 95.9% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 96.1% | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 96.0% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 96.2% | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 96.3% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 97.1% | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 97.6% | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 98.0% | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 98.2% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 98.3% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 98.3% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 98.4% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 98.5% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 98.6% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 98.7% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 98.8% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 98.8% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 98.9% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 98.9% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 99.0% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 99.0% | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 92.8% | 92.6% | 93.0% | 3 |
| 1990s | 94.2% | 93.2% | 95.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 96.0% | 95.4% | 97.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 98.3% | 97.6% | 98.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 98.9% | 98.8% | 99.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near UNICEF: Europe and Central Asia Programme Countries
- 12 Mongolia 98.6% compare
- 13 Montenegro 98.5% compare
- 14 Philippines 98.5% compare
- 15 Maldives 98.2% compare
- 16 Samoa 98.0% compare
- 17 Palestine, State of 97.9% compare
- 18 Saudi Arabia 97.9% compare
More education data for UNICEF: Europe and Central Asia Programme Countries
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 30.32 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.8404 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 14.60 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 1 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 990,955 (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.8196 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate -0.1442 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 16.92 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 8.19 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 15.72 million (2024)
All data for UNICEF: Europe and Central Asia Programme Countries →
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: Europe and Central Asia Programme Countries?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: Europe and Central Asia Programme Countries was 99.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in UNICEF: Europe and Central Asia Programme Countries?
- The highest recorded value was 99.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in UNICEF: Europe and Central Asia Programme Countries?
- The lowest recorded value was 92.6% in 1987.
- How does UNICEF: Europe and Central Asia Programme Countries rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes?
- UNICEF: Europe and Central Asia Programme Countries ranks 15th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in UNICEF: Europe and Central Asia Programme Countries?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this UNICEF: Europe and Central Asia Programme Countries 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 — 38 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release