Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Pre-demographic Dividend
WB: Pre-demographic Dividend: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes was 67.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Pre-demographic Dividend, 1986–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Pre-demographic Dividend stood at 67.7%. That is the highest value across all 39 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.5% on the previous year and up 10.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Pre-demographic Dividend peaked at 67.7% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 48.5%, in 1986.
WB: Pre-demographic Dividend ranks 174th 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: Pre-demographic Dividend, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 48.5% | — |
| 1987 | 49.2% | +1.5% |
| 1988 | 49.8% | +1.2% |
| 1989 | 50.4% | +1.3% |
| 1990 | 51.0% | +1.2% |
| 1991 | 51.5% | +1.0% |
| 1992 | 52.0% | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 52.5% | +1.1% |
| 1994 | 53.2% | +1.2% |
| 1995 | 53.6% | +0.8% |
| 1996 | 54.3% | +1.3% |
| 1997 | 55.1% | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 55.8% | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 56.7% | +1.7% |
| 2000 | 55.2% | -2.6% |
| 2001 | 56.2% | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 57.0% | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 57.5% | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 58.1% | +1.0% |
| 2005 | 57.7% | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 56.5% | -2.0% |
| 2007 | 55.4% | -2.0% |
| 2008 | 55.6% | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 55.9% | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 56.6% | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 58.5% | +3.4% |
| 2012 | 59.8% | +2.2% |
| 2013 | 60.8% | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 61.5% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 62.1% | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 62.7% | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 63.8% | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 65.8% | +3.1% |
| 2019 | 65.9% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 66.2% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 66.5% | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 67.0% | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 67.4% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 67.7% | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 49.5% | 48.5% | 50.4% | 4 |
| 1990s | 53.6% | 51.0% | 56.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 56.5% | 55.2% | 58.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 61.8% | 56.6% | 65.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 67.0% | 66.2% | 67.7% | 5 |
More education data for WB: Pre-demographic Dividend
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.24 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 32.69 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.61 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 37.39 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 4.13 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 5.04 million (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 5.35 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 3.46 million (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 8.50 million (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 4.62 % change on previous year (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Pre-demographic Dividend?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Pre-demographic Dividend was 67.7% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in WB: Pre-demographic Dividend?
- The highest recorded value was 67.7% in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in WB: Pre-demographic Dividend?
- The lowest recorded value was 48.5% in 1986.
- How does WB: Pre-demographic Dividend rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes?
- WB: Pre-demographic Dividend ranks 174th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in WB: Pre-demographic Dividend?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this WB: Pre-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