Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: Gulf Area
UNICEF: Gulf Area: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes was 98.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: Gulf Area, 1986–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: Gulf Area stood at 98.2%. That is the highest value across all 39 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and up 3.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: Gulf Area peaked at 98.2% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 65.2%, in 1986.
That places UNICEF: Gulf Area 29th out of 203 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 39 years of available data.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: Gulf Area, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 65.2% | — |
| 1987 | 65.4% | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 66.7% | +2.0% |
| 1989 | 67.9% | +1.8% |
| 1990 | 69.1% | +1.8% |
| 1991 | 70.0% | +1.4% |
| 1992 | 71.1% | +1.6% |
| 1993 | 72.2% | +1.6% |
| 1994 | 73.3% | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 74.4% | +1.5% |
| 1996 | 75.5% | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 76.6% | +1.4% |
| 1998 | 78.2% | +2.1% |
| 1999 | 79.2% | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 80.3% | +1.3% |
| 2001 | 81.6% | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 83.3% | +2.2% |
| 2003 | 83.8% | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 84.9% | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 85.9% | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 86.8% | +1.1% |
| 2007 | 87.8% | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 88.6% | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 89.4% | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 90.1% | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 94.2% | +4.6% |
| 2012 | 94.6% | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 94.9% | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 95.2% | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 96.4% | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 96.6% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 96.7% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 96.8% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 96.9% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 97.7% | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 97.9% | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 98.1% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 98.1% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 98.2% | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 66.3% | 65.2% | 67.9% | 4 |
| 1990s | 74.0% | 69.1% | 79.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 85.2% | 80.3% | 89.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 95.2% | 90.1% | 96.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 98.0% | 97.7% | 98.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near UNICEF: Gulf Area
More education data for UNICEF: Gulf Area
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 22.5 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 2.41 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate -0.0178 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.52 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.7367 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 796,027 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual -7.06 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 2.60 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 1.34 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 18.72 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: Gulf Area?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: Gulf Area was 98.2% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in UNICEF: Gulf Area?
- The highest recorded value was 98.2% in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in UNICEF: Gulf Area?
- The lowest recorded value was 65.2% in 1986.
- How does UNICEF: Gulf Area rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes?
- UNICEF: Gulf Area ranks 29th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in UNICEF: Gulf Area?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this UNICEF: Gulf Area 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