Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries
UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes was 81.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries, 1976–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries stood at 81.7%. That is the highest value across all 49 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 3.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries peaked at 81.7% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 46.0%, in 1976.
UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries ranks 104th of 203 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 49 years of available data.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 46.0% | — |
| 1977 | 46.5% | +1.1% |
| 1978 | 47.1% | +1.3% |
| 1979 | 47.8% | +1.3% |
| 1980 | 48.5% | +1.4% |
| 1981 | 49.1% | +1.4% |
| 1982 | 50.0% | +1.8% |
| 1983 | 50.7% | +1.3% |
| 1984 | 51.5% | +1.7% |
| 1985 | 52.4% | +1.6% |
| 1986 | 53.2% | +1.6% |
| 1987 | 54.0% | +1.6% |
| 1988 | 55.0% | +1.8% |
| 1989 | 56.0% | +1.8% |
| 1990 | 58.2% | +4.0% |
| 1991 | 59.2% | +1.7% |
| 1992 | 60.1% | +1.6% |
| 1993 | 60.9% | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 61.7% | +1.3% |
| 1995 | 63.0% | +2.1% |
| 1996 | 64.1% | +1.7% |
| 1997 | 65.1% | +1.7% |
| 1998 | 66.3% | +1.8% |
| 1999 | 67.4% | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 68.4% | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 69.5% | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 70.6% | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 73.1% | +3.6% |
| 2004 | 74.0% | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 74.7% | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 72.8% | -2.6% |
| 2007 | 73.6% | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 75.2% | +2.2% |
| 2009 | 76.1% | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 76.7% | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 77.2% | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 78.0% | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 78.9% | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 79.0% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 79.8% | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 78.7% | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 79.3% | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 79.7% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 79.9% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 80.3% | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 80.6% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 81.0% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 81.3% | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 81.7% | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 46.9% | 46.0% | 47.8% | 4 |
| 1980s | 52.0% | 48.5% | 56.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 62.6% | 58.2% | 67.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 72.8% | 68.4% | 76.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 78.7% | 76.7% | 79.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 81.0% | 80.3% | 81.7% | 5 |
More education data for UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 17.93 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 2.81 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 22.79 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 24.28 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.77 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7.22 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual -0.3301 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 8.84 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 5.99 % change on previous year (2024)
All data for UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries →
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries was 81.7% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries?
- The highest recorded value was 81.7% in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries?
- The lowest recorded value was 46.0% in 1976.
- How does UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes?
- UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries ranks 104th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa 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.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release