Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in ESCWA: Arab Low-income Countries (lics) (unsdcode:98509)

ESCWA: Arab Low-income Countries (lics) (unsdcode:98509): Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female was 55.0% in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
55.0%
Change on year
up 1.0%
Rank
193rd
of 203 groups
All-time high
55.0%
in 2019
All-time low
34.3%
in 1989
Years of data
31
1989–2019

Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in ESCWA: Arab Low-income Countries (lics) (unsdcode:98509), 1989–2019

02040601989200420191989: 34.3 %1990: 35 %1991: 35.9 %1992: 36.8 %1993: 37.7 %1994: 38.5 %1995: 39.3 %1996: 40.7 %1997: 42.2 %1998: 43.7 %1999: 45.2 %2000: 46.5 %2001: 47.8 %2002: 49.1 %2003: 50.5 %2004: 51.8 %2005: 52.6 %2006: 48 %2007: 49.1 %2008: 50.2 %2009: 50.6 %2010: 51.2 %2011: 51.7 %2012: 52.2 %2013: 52.3 %2014: 51.8 %2015: 52.5 %2016: 53.4 %2017: 53.9 %2018: 54.5 %2019: 55 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in ESCWA: Arab Low-income Countries (lics) (unsdcode:98509) is 55.0%, measured in 2019. That is the highest value across all 31 years on record.

That represents a change of up 1.0% on the previous year and up 8.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in ESCWA: Arab Low-income Countries (lics) (unsdcode:98509) peaked at 55.0% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 34.3%, in 1989.

ESCWA: Arab Low-income Countries (lics) (unsdcode:98509) ranks 193rd of 203 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 31 years of available data.

Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in ESCWA: Arab Low-income Countries (lics) (unsdcode:98509), year by year

Annual values for Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female (%) in ESCWA: Arab Low-income Countries (lics) (unsdcode:98509), 1989 to 2019.
Year % Change
1989 34.3%
1990 35.0% +2.2%
1991 35.9% +2.3%
1992 36.8% +2.8%
1993 37.7% +2.4%
1994 38.5% +1.9%
1995 39.3% +2.3%
1996 40.7% +3.6%
1997 42.2% +3.7%
1998 43.7% +3.4%
1999 45.2% +3.4%
2000 46.5% +2.9%
2001 47.8% +2.8%
2002 49.1% +2.8%
2003 50.5% +2.7%
2004 51.8% +2.6%
2005 52.6% +1.6%
2006 48.0% -8.8%
2007 49.1% +2.3%
2008 50.2% +2.2%
2009 50.6% +0.8%
2010 51.2% +1.1%
2011 51.7% +1.1%
2012 52.2% +1.0%
2013 52.3% +0.1%
2014 51.8% -1.0%
2015 52.5% +1.4%
2016 53.4% +1.8%
2017 53.9% +0.9%
2018 54.5% +1.0%
2019 55.0% +1.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 34.3% 34.3% 34.3% 1
1990s 39.5% 35.0% 45.2% 10
2000s 49.6% 46.5% 52.6% 10
2010s 52.8% 51.2% 55.0% 10

More education data for ESCWA: Arab Low-income Countries (lics) (unsdcode:98509)

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Frequently asked questions

What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in ESCWA: Arab Low-income Countries (lics) (unsdcode:98509)?
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in ESCWA: Arab Low-income Countries (lics) (unsdcode:98509) was 55.0% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female recorded in ESCWA: Arab Low-income Countries (lics) (unsdcode:98509)?
The highest recorded value was 55.0% in 2019.
What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female recorded in ESCWA: Arab Low-income Countries (lics) (unsdcode:98509)?
The lowest recorded value was 34.3% in 1989.
How does ESCWA: Arab Low-income Countries (lics) (unsdcode:98509) rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female?
ESCWA: Arab Low-income Countries (lics) (unsdcode:98509) ranks 193rd out of 203 groups with data for 2019.
Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female rising or falling in ESCWA: Arab Low-income Countries (lics) (unsdcode:98509)?
Over the last ten years it is up 8.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this ESCWA: Arab Low-income Countries (lics) (unsdcode:98509) data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in ESCWA: Arab Low-income Countries (lics) (unsdcode:98509). Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 13 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/adult-literacy-rate-population-15-years-female-percent/escwa-arab-low-income-countries-lics-unsdcode-98509/

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About this data

Indicator
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
292 places, 9,572 data points, 1970–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release