Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (hipc)
WB: Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (hipc): Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes was 66.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (hipc), 1986–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (hipc) stood at 66.6%. That is the highest value across all 39 years on record.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 10.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (hipc) peaked at 66.6% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 43.7%, in 1986.
WB: Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (hipc) ranks 181st of 203 groups on this measure, in the bottom 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 WB: Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (hipc), year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 43.7% | — |
| 1987 | 44.3% | +1.4% |
| 1988 | 44.7% | +0.9% |
| 1989 | 45.3% | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 45.8% | +1.2% |
| 1991 | 46.2% | +0.8% |
| 1992 | 46.5% | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 46.8% | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 47.2% | +0.9% |
| 1995 | 47.5% | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 48.0% | +0.9% |
| 1997 | 48.6% | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 49.1% | +1.0% |
| 1999 | 49.9% | +1.7% |
| 2000 | 50.9% | +2.0% |
| 2001 | 51.7% | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 52.5% | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 53.0% | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 53.5% | +1.0% |
| 2005 | 53.8% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 52.1% | -3.1% |
| 2007 | 53.5% | +2.7% |
| 2008 | 53.8% | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 54.0% | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 55.1% | +1.9% |
| 2011 | 57.3% | +4.1% |
| 2012 | 58.7% | +2.4% |
| 2013 | 59.7% | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 60.3% | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 60.9% | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 61.5% | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 62.6% | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 64.5% | +3.1% |
| 2019 | 64.7% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 65.0% | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 65.4% | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 65.9% | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 66.3% | +0.7% |
| 2024 | 66.6% | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 44.5% | 43.7% | 45.3% | 4 |
| 1990s | 47.6% | 45.8% | 49.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 52.9% | 50.9% | 54.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 60.5% | 55.1% | 64.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 65.8% | 65.0% | 66.6% | 5 |
More education data for WB: Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (hipc)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 4.79 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 25.42 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 3.88 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 29.13 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 3.19 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 19.54 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 1.79 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 7.57 million (2021)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.00 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 3.23 million (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (hipc)?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (hipc) was 66.6% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in WB: Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (hipc)?
- The highest recorded value was 66.6% in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in WB: Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (hipc)?
- The lowest recorded value was 43.7% in 1986.
- How does WB: Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (hipc) rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes?
- WB: Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (hipc) ranks 181st out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in WB: Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (hipc)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this WB: Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (hipc) 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