Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Nepal
Nepal: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female was 59.4% in 2019. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Nepal, 1981–2019
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Nepal recorded 59.4% for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in 2019. That is the highest value across all 8 years on record.
The figure is up 4.0% on the previous year and up 37.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Nepal peaked at 59.4% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 9.2%, in 1981.
Nepal ranks 74th of 89 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Nepal, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 9.2% | — |
| 1991 | 17.4% | +89.9% |
| 2001 | 34.9% | +100.7% |
| 2008 | 43.3% | +24.2% |
| 2011 | 48.8% | +12.7% |
| 2016 | 55.8% | +14.1% |
| 2017 | 57.1% | +2.5% |
| 2019 | 59.4% | +4.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 9.2% | 9.2% | 9.2% | 1 |
| 1990s | 17.4% | 17.4% | 17.4% | 1 |
| 2000s | 39.1% | 34.9% | 43.3% | 2 |
| 2010s | 55.3% | 48.8% | 59.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
More education data for Nepal
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 124,257 (2025)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 263,796 (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 752,326 (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 609,324 (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.67 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.57 million (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.31 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1204 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Nepal?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Nepal was 59.4% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female recorded in Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 59.4% in 2019.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.2% in 1981.
- How does Nepal rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female?
- Nepal ranks 74th out of 89 countries with data for 2019.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 37.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nepal 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