Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Middle East & North Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan
WB: Middle East & North Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes was 75.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Middle East & North Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan, 1973–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
WB: Middle East & North Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan recorded 75.6% for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in 2024. That is the highest value across all 52 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 5.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Middle East & North Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan peaked at 75.6% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 38.6%, in 1973.
That places WB: Middle East & North Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan 135th out of 203 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 52 years of available data.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Middle East & North Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 38.6% | — |
| 1974 | 38.9% | +0.8% |
| 1975 | 39.2% | +0.9% |
| 1976 | 39.6% | +0.9% |
| 1977 | 40.1% | +1.4% |
| 1978 | 40.8% | +1.5% |
| 1979 | 41.4% | +1.5% |
| 1980 | 42.0% | +1.5% |
| 1981 | 42.6% | +1.5% |
| 1982 | 43.4% | +1.9% |
| 1983 | 44.0% | +1.4% |
| 1984 | 44.8% | +1.8% |
| 1985 | 45.6% | +1.7% |
| 1986 | 46.4% | +1.7% |
| 1987 | 47.2% | +1.7% |
| 1988 | 48.1% | +1.9% |
| 1989 | 49.0% | +1.9% |
| 1990 | 50.7% | +3.6% |
| 1991 | 51.5% | +1.6% |
| 1992 | 53.1% | +3.0% |
| 1993 | 54.4% | +2.6% |
| 1994 | 55.1% | +1.3% |
| 1995 | 56.2% | +2.0% |
| 1996 | 57.1% | +1.6% |
| 1997 | 58.0% | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 59.0% | +1.7% |
| 1999 | 59.9% | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 60.8% | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 61.9% | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 62.9% | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 65.1% | +3.6% |
| 2004 | 66.0% | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 66.7% | +1.1% |
| 2006 | 66.3% | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 67.0% | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 68.6% | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 69.6% | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 70.0% | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 70.2% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 71.3% | +1.5% |
| 2013 | 71.5% | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 71.9% | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 72.8% | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 72.3% | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 72.7% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 72.7% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 72.9% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 73.5% | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 73.9% | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 74.5% | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 75.1% | +0.7% |
| 2024 | 75.6% | +0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 39.8% | 38.6% | 41.4% | 7 |
| 1980s | 45.3% | 42.0% | 49.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 55.5% | 50.7% | 59.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 65.5% | 60.8% | 69.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 71.8% | 70.0% | 72.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 74.5% | 73.5% | 75.6% | 5 |
More education data for WB: Middle East & North Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 4.42 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 16.51 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 3.77 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 35.93 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 5.15 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 32.16 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 2.28 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 3.29 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 43.62 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 2.72 % change on previous year (2024)
All data for WB: Middle East & North Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan →
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Middle East & North Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Middle East & North Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan was 75.6% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in WB: Middle East & North Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 75.6% in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in WB: Middle East & North Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 38.6% in 1973.
- How does WB: Middle East & North Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes?
- WB: Middle East & North Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan ranks 135th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in WB: Middle East & North Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this WB: Middle East & North Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan 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 — 52 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release