Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd)
WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd): Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes was 73.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd), 1973–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd) stood at 73.2%. That is the highest value across all 52 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is 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 (ida & Ibrd) peaked at 73.2% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 34.0%, in 1973.
That places WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd) 144th 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 (ida & Ibrd), year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 34.0% | — |
| 1974 | 34.4% | +1.0% |
| 1975 | 34.8% | +1.1% |
| 1976 | 35.2% | +1.2% |
| 1977 | 35.8% | +1.7% |
| 1978 | 36.5% | +1.9% |
| 1979 | 37.1% | +1.9% |
| 1980 | 37.8% | +1.9% |
| 1981 | 38.5% | +1.8% |
| 1982 | 39.3% | +2.1% |
| 1983 | 40.0% | +1.8% |
| 1984 | 40.9% | +2.2% |
| 1985 | 41.8% | +2.2% |
| 1986 | 42.7% | +2.1% |
| 1987 | 43.5% | +2.1% |
| 1988 | 44.4% | +2.0% |
| 1989 | 45.3% | +2.0% |
| 1990 | 47.2% | +4.2% |
| 1991 | 48.2% | +2.1% |
| 1992 | 49.9% | +3.6% |
| 1993 | 51.4% | +3.0% |
| 1994 | 52.1% | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 53.4% | +2.3% |
| 1996 | 54.4% | +1.9% |
| 1997 | 55.3% | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 56.4% | +1.8% |
| 1999 | 57.4% | +1.8% |
| 2000 | 58.3% | +1.7% |
| 2001 | 59.4% | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 60.4% | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 62.9% | +4.2% |
| 2004 | 63.8% | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 64.5% | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 64.0% | -0.8% |
| 2007 | 64.7% | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 66.3% | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 67.3% | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 67.8% | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 67.6% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 68.8% | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 69.0% | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 69.4% | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 70.1% | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 69.6% | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 69.9% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 69.9% | -0.0% |
| 2019 | 70.2% | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 70.8% | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 71.3% | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 72.0% | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 72.6% | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 73.2% | +0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 35.4% | 34.0% | 37.1% | 7 |
| 1980s | 41.4% | 37.8% | 45.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 52.6% | 47.2% | 57.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 63.2% | 58.3% | 67.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 69.2% | 67.6% | 70.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 72.0% | 70.8% | 73.2% | 5 |
More education data for WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 5.55 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 14.92 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 4.73 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 32.41 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 6.5 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 28.76 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 2.17 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 2.81 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 40.56 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 2.95 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd)?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd) was 73.2% 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 (ida & Ibrd)?
- The highest recorded value was 73.2% in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd)?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.0% in 1973.
- How does WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd) rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes?
- WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd) ranks 144th 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 (ida & Ibrd)?
- 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 (ida & Ibrd) 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