Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income)
WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income): Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes was 73.3% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income), 1973–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income) is 73.3%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 52 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.8% on the previous year and up 5.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income) peaked at 73.3% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 34.3%, in 1973.
WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income) ranks 143rd of 203 groups on this measure, 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 (excluding High Income), year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 34.3% | — |
| 1974 | 34.6% | +1.0% |
| 1975 | 35.0% | +1.1% |
| 1976 | 35.4% | +1.1% |
| 1977 | 36.0% | +1.7% |
| 1978 | 36.7% | +1.9% |
| 1979 | 37.4% | +1.9% |
| 1980 | 38.1% | +1.9% |
| 1981 | 38.8% | +1.8% |
| 1982 | 39.6% | +2.1% |
| 1983 | 40.3% | +1.7% |
| 1984 | 41.1% | +2.2% |
| 1985 | 42.0% | +2.1% |
| 1986 | 42.9% | +2.1% |
| 1987 | 43.8% | +2.0% |
| 1988 | 44.6% | +2.0% |
| 1989 | 45.5% | +1.9% |
| 1990 | 47.4% | +4.2% |
| 1991 | 48.4% | +2.0% |
| 1992 | 50.1% | +3.6% |
| 1993 | 51.6% | +3.0% |
| 1994 | 52.3% | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 53.5% | +2.3% |
| 1996 | 54.5% | +1.8% |
| 1997 | 55.5% | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 56.5% | +1.8% |
| 1999 | 57.5% | +1.8% |
| 2000 | 58.5% | +1.7% |
| 2001 | 59.6% | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 60.6% | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 63.1% | +4.2% |
| 2004 | 64.0% | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 64.7% | +1.1% |
| 2006 | 64.2% | -0.8% |
| 2007 | 64.9% | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 66.5% | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 67.5% | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 68.0% | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 67.8% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 69.0% | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 69.2% | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 69.5% | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 70.3% | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 69.7% | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 70.1% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 70.1% | -0.0% |
| 2019 | 70.4% | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 70.9% | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 71.5% | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 72.1% | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 72.7% | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 73.3% | +0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 35.6% | 34.3% | 37.4% | 7 |
| 1980s | 41.7% | 38.1% | 45.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 52.7% | 47.4% | 57.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 63.4% | 58.5% | 67.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 69.4% | 67.8% | 70.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 72.1% | 70.9% | 73.3% | 5 |
More education data for WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 2.74 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 8.74 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 3.82 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 8.80 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 1.85 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.02 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 29.02 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.80 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 32.64 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 4.06 % change on previous year (2024)
All data for WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income)?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income) was 73.3% 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 (excluding High Income)?
- The highest recorded value was 73.3% in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.3% in 1973.
- How does WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income) rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes?
- WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income) ranks 143rd 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 (excluding High Income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income) 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