Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Late-demographic Dividend
WB: Late-demographic Dividend: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes was 96.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Late-demographic Dividend, 1976–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Late-demographic Dividend is 96.8%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 49 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and up 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Late-demographic Dividend peaked at 96.8% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 69.6%, in 1976.
That places WB: Late-demographic Dividend 38th out of 203 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 49 years of available data.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Late-demographic Dividend, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 69.6% | — |
| 1977 | 69.7% | +0.2% |
| 1978 | 70.7% | +1.4% |
| 1979 | 71.7% | +1.5% |
| 1980 | 72.7% | +1.3% |
| 1981 | 73.6% | +1.3% |
| 1982 | 74.5% | +1.2% |
| 1983 | 75.3% | +1.1% |
| 1984 | 76.1% | +1.1% |
| 1985 | 76.9% | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 77.7% | +1.0% |
| 1987 | 78.4% | +1.0% |
| 1988 | 81.8% | +4.3% |
| 1989 | 82.4% | +0.7% |
| 1990 | 82.9% | +0.6% |
| 1991 | 83.4% | +0.6% |
| 1992 | 83.9% | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 84.3% | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 84.8% | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 85.2% | +0.5% |
| 1996 | 85.7% | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 90.3% | +5.4% |
| 1998 | 90.7% | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 90.9% | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 91.2% | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 91.5% | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 91.8% | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 92.2% | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 92.5% | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 92.8% | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 93.0% | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 94.0% | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 94.3% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 94.5% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 94.7% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 95.0% | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 95.2% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 95.3% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 95.4% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 95.6% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 95.8% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 96.0% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 96.1% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 96.2% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 96.4% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 96.5% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 96.6% | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 96.7% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 96.8% | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 70.4% | 69.6% | 71.7% | 4 |
| 1980s | 76.9% | 72.7% | 82.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 86.2% | 82.9% | 90.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 92.8% | 91.2% | 94.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 95.5% | 94.7% | 96.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 96.6% | 96.4% | 96.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near WB: Late-demographic Dividend
More education data for WB: Late-demographic Dividend
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 96.84 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 1.02 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 50.02 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 10.38 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.35 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.3035 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 8.02 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 1.33 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.52 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 92.72 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Late-demographic Dividend?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Late-demographic Dividend was 96.8% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in WB: Late-demographic Dividend?
- The highest recorded value was 96.8% in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in WB: Late-demographic Dividend?
- The lowest recorded value was 69.6% in 1976.
- How does WB: Late-demographic Dividend rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes?
- WB: Late-demographic Dividend ranks 38th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in WB: Late-demographic Dividend?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this WB: Late-demographic Dividend 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