Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in MDG: Southern Asia
MDG: Southern Asia: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female was 69.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in MDG: Southern Asia, 1975–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in MDG: Southern Asia is 69.5%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 50 years on record.
The figure is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 15.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in MDG: Southern Asia peaked at 69.5% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 21.4%, in 1975.
That places MDG: Southern Asia 129th 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, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 21.4% | — |
| 1976 | 21.4% | +0.2% |
| 1977 | 22.2% | +3.6% |
| 1978 | 23.0% | +3.6% |
| 1979 | 23.8% | +3.5% |
| 1980 | 24.6% | +3.3% |
| 1981 | 25.4% | +3.0% |
| 1982 | 26.2% | +3.2% |
| 1983 | 27.1% | +3.5% |
| 1984 | 27.9% | +3.1% |
| 1985 | 28.8% | +3.0% |
| 1986 | 29.6% | +3.0% |
| 1987 | 30.5% | +3.0% |
| 1988 | 30.5% | -0.0% |
| 1989 | 31.4% | +3.1% |
| 1990 | 32.7% | +3.8% |
| 1991 | 33.6% | +2.8% |
| 1992 | 34.5% | +2.8% |
| 1993 | 35.5% | +2.7% |
| 1994 | 36.4% | +2.6% |
| 1995 | 37.5% | +3.1% |
| 1996 | 38.5% | +2.7% |
| 1997 | 39.6% | +2.7% |
| 1998 | 44.0% | +11.2% |
| 1999 | 45.1% | +2.5% |
| 2000 | 46.2% | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 47.3% | +2.4% |
| 2002 | 48.4% | +2.3% |
| 2003 | 49.3% | +1.8% |
| 2004 | 50.4% | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 49.7% | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 50.2% | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 51.3% | +2.3% |
| 2008 | 52.7% | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 53.7% | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 57.3% | +6.7% |
| 2011 | 58.0% | +1.2% |
| 2012 | 58.1% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 59.3% | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 60.3% | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 61.8% | +2.5% |
| 2016 | 63.4% | +2.5% |
| 2017 | 64.0% | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 64.9% | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 64.9% | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 65.8% | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 66.7% | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 67.7% | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 68.6% | +1.3% |
| 2024 | 69.5% | +1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 22.4% | 21.4% | 23.8% | 5 |
| 1980s | 28.2% | 24.6% | 31.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 37.7% | 32.7% | 45.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 49.9% | 46.2% | 53.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 61.2% | 57.3% | 64.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 67.7% | 65.8% | 69.5% | 5 |
More education data for MDG: Southern Asia
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 7.57 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -0.56 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 6.70 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 2.81 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 88.16 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.205 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 94.56 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate -1.26 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 54.48 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 28.18 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in MDG: Southern Asia?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in MDG: Southern Asia was 69.5% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female recorded in MDG: Southern Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 69.5% in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female recorded in MDG: Southern Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.4% in 1975.
- How does MDG: Southern Asia rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female?
- MDG: Southern Asia ranks 129th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female rising or falling in MDG: Southern Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this MDG: Southern Asia 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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CSV · JSON — 50 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release