Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in MDG: Developing Regions
MDG: Developing Regions: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female was 81.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
81.6%
Change on year
up 0.4%
Rank
91st
of 203 groups
All-time high
81.6%
in 2024
All-time low
44.4%
in 1975
Years of data
50
1975–2024
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in MDG: Developing Regions, 1975–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in MDG: Developing Regions stood at 81.6%. That is the highest value across all 50 years on record.
The figure is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 4.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in MDG: Developing Regions peaked at 81.6% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 44.4%, in 1975.
That places MDG: Developing Regions 91st 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 50 years of available data.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in MDG: Developing Regions, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 44.4% | — |
| 1976 | 44.6% | +0.5% |
| 1977 | 45.0% | +1.0% |
| 1978 | 46.0% | +2.2% |
| 1979 | 47.0% | +2.2% |
| 1980 | 48.0% | +2.1% |
| 1981 | 48.9% | +2.0% |
| 1982 | 49.9% | +1.9% |
| 1983 | 50.8% | +1.8% |
| 1984 | 51.9% | +2.1% |
| 1985 | 52.8% | +1.8% |
| 1986 | 53.7% | +1.6% |
| 1987 | 54.7% | +1.9% |
| 1988 | 57.1% | +4.4% |
| 1989 | 58.0% | +1.5% |
| 1990 | 58.9% | +1.5% |
| 1991 | 59.6% | +1.3% |
| 1992 | 60.4% | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 61.1% | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 61.9% | +1.3% |
| 1995 | 62.7% | +1.3% |
| 1996 | 63.5% | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 67.2% | +5.9% |
| 1998 | 68.9% | +2.4% |
| 1999 | 69.5% | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 69.9% | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 70.5% | +0.8% |
| 2002 | 71.0% | +0.8% |
| 2003 | 71.7% | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 72.3% | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 72.2% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 72.3% | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 73.5% | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 74.0% | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 74.6% | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 75.8% | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 76.3% | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 76.7% | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 77.2% | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 77.8% | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 78.4% | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 78.9% | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 79.3% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 79.8% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 80.0% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 80.3% | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 80.6% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 81.0% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 81.3% | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 81.6% | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 45.4% | 44.4% | 47.0% | 5 |
| 1980s | 52.6% | 48.0% | 58.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 63.4% | 58.9% | 69.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 72.2% | 69.9% | 74.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 78.0% | 75.8% | 80.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 81.0% | 80.3% | 81.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near MDG: Developing Regions
More education data for MDG: Developing Regions
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 28.60 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.4912 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 286.02 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.8747 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 266.40 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 1.51 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 552.42 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 365.72 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.39 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 171.20 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in MDG: Developing Regions?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in MDG: Developing Regions was 81.6% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female recorded in MDG: Developing Regions?
- The highest recorded value was 81.6% in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female recorded in MDG: Developing Regions?
- The lowest recorded value was 44.4% in 1975.
- How does MDG: Developing Regions rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female?
- MDG: Developing Regions ranks 91st out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female rising or falling in MDG: Developing Regions?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this MDG: Developing Regions 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