Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Iran, Islamic Republic of
Iran, Islamic Republic of: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female was 85.1% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Iran, Islamic Republic of, 1976–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Iran, Islamic Republic of stood at 85.1%. That is the highest value across all 23 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.5% on the previous year and up 6.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Iran, Islamic Republic of peaked at 85.1% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 24.4%, in 1976.
That places Iran, Islamic Republic of 51st out of 89 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Iran, Islamic Republic of, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 24.4% | — |
| 1986 | 41.0% | +68.0% |
| 1991 | 56.2% | +36.9% |
| 1996 | 66.1% | +17.6% |
| 2002 | 70.4% | +6.6% |
| 2005 | 76.8% | +9.1% |
| 2006 | 77.2% | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 77.7% | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 78.1% | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 78.5% | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 79.0% | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 78.4% | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 79.8% | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 79.8% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 80.6% | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 80.8% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 81.4% | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 82.6% | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 83.1% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 83.8% | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 84.5% | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 84.7% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 85.1% | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 24.4% | 24.4% | 24.4% | 1 |
| 1980s | 41.0% | 41.0% | 41.0% | 1 |
| 1990s | 61.1% | 56.2% | 66.1% | 2 |
| 2000s | 76.0% | 70.4% | 78.1% | 5 |
| 2010s | 80.4% | 78.4% | 83.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 84.5% | 83.8% | 85.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iran, Islamic Republic of
- 48 Honduras 88.8% compare
- 49 El Salvador 88.2% compare
- 50 Namibia 87.4% compare
- 52 Cape Verde 84.1% compare
- 53 Sao Tome and Principe 82.8% compare
- 54 Tunisia 80.1% compare
More education data for Iran, Islamic Republic of
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 406,399 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 108,066 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 519,698 (2020)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 505,053 (2020)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.62 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 9.09 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 3.31 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1003 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Iran, Islamic Republic of was 85.1% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female recorded in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- The highest recorded value was 85.1% in 2023.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female recorded in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.4% in 1976.
- How does Iran, Islamic Republic of rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female?
- Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 51st out of 89 countries with data for 2023.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female rising or falling in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iran, Islamic Republic of 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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About this data
February 2026 Data Release