Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India)
MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India): Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female was 66.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India), 1975–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) stood at 66.0%. That is the highest value across all 50 years on record.
The figure is up 1.1% on the previous year and up 19.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) peaked at 66.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 18.7%, in 1975.
That places MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) 145th 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: Southern Asia (excluding India), year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 18.7% | — |
| 1976 | 18.9% | +1.3% |
| 1977 | 19.6% | +3.6% |
| 1978 | 20.3% | +3.5% |
| 1979 | 21.0% | +3.5% |
| 1980 | 21.6% | +3.1% |
| 1981 | 22.2% | +2.8% |
| 1982 | 23.0% | +3.3% |
| 1983 | 24.1% | +4.7% |
| 1984 | 24.8% | +3.0% |
| 1985 | 25.5% | +3.0% |
| 1986 | 26.3% | +2.9% |
| 1987 | 27.0% | +2.9% |
| 1988 | 28.3% | +4.5% |
| 1989 | 29.2% | +3.3% |
| 1990 | 31.3% | +7.1% |
| 1991 | 32.1% | +2.7% |
| 1992 | 33.1% | +3.0% |
| 1993 | 34.0% | +2.8% |
| 1994 | 34.7% | +2.1% |
| 1995 | 36.2% | +4.3% |
| 1996 | 37.3% | +3.0% |
| 1997 | 38.3% | +2.9% |
| 1998 | 41.1% | +7.1% |
| 1999 | 42.3% | +3.0% |
| 2000 | 43.5% | +2.8% |
| 2001 | 44.7% | +2.8% |
| 2002 | 45.9% | +2.6% |
| 2003 | 46.3% | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 47.4% | +2.4% |
| 2005 | 48.6% | +2.4% |
| 2006 | 47.4% | -2.5% |
| 2007 | 48.5% | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 50.4% | +3.9% |
| 2009 | 51.2% | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 54.6% | +6.6% |
| 2011 | 54.3% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 52.4% | -3.6% |
| 2013 | 54.0% | +3.2% |
| 2014 | 55.2% | +2.1% |
| 2015 | 58.0% | +5.1% |
| 2016 | 60.9% | +5.0% |
| 2017 | 61.0% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 61.5% | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 62.2% | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 62.8% | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 63.7% | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 64.5% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 65.3% | +1.2% |
| 2024 | 66.0% | +1.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 19.7% | 18.7% | 21.0% | 5 |
| 1980s | 25.2% | 21.6% | 29.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 36.0% | 31.3% | 42.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 47.4% | 43.5% | 51.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 57.4% | 52.4% | 62.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 64.4% | 62.8% | 66.0% | 5 |
More education data for MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 4.49 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 3.65 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.68 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate -0.7828 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 24.83 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 3.99 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 26.38 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 3.33 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 16.69 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 6.02 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India)?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) was 66.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female recorded in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India)?
- The highest recorded value was 66.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female recorded in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India)?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.7% in 1975.
- How does MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female?
- MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) ranks 145th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female rising or falling in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) 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