Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in SDG: Least Developed Countries
SDG: Least Developed Countries: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female was 62.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in SDG: Least Developed Countries, 1981–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in SDG: Least Developed Countries stood at 62.2%. That is the highest value across all 44 years on record.
The figure is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 17.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in SDG: Least Developed Countries peaked at 62.2% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 29.2%, in 1981.
SDG: Least Developed Countries ranks 172nd of 203 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 44 years of available data.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in SDG: Least Developed Countries, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 29.2% | — |
| 1982 | 29.6% | +1.2% |
| 1983 | 29.9% | +1.2% |
| 1984 | 30.4% | +1.5% |
| 1985 | 30.9% | +1.6% |
| 1986 | 31.3% | +1.5% |
| 1987 | 31.9% | +1.8% |
| 1988 | 32.6% | +2.3% |
| 1989 | 33.3% | +1.9% |
| 1990 | 33.9% | +2.0% |
| 1991 | 34.4% | +1.5% |
| 1992 | 34.9% | +1.4% |
| 1993 | 35.5% | +1.7% |
| 1994 | 36.5% | +2.6% |
| 1995 | 37.6% | +3.0% |
| 1996 | 38.3% | +1.9% |
| 1997 | 39.1% | +2.3% |
| 1998 | 40.8% | +4.2% |
| 1999 | 41.7% | +2.3% |
| 2000 | 42.6% | +2.1% |
| 2001 | 43.6% | +2.3% |
| 2002 | 43.9% | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 44.8% | +2.1% |
| 2004 | 45.5% | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 46.0% | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 43.8% | -4.9% |
| 2007 | 45.0% | +2.9% |
| 2008 | 45.5% | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 46.2% | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 48.6% | +5.2% |
| 2011 | 50.6% | +4.2% |
| 2012 | 50.2% | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 52.3% | +4.2% |
| 2014 | 53.1% | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 55.2% | +3.9% |
| 2016 | 57.2% | +3.8% |
| 2017 | 58.4% | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 59.0% | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 59.5% | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 59.8% | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 60.5% | +1.2% |
| 2022 | 61.1% | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 61.7% | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 62.2% | +0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 31.0% | 29.2% | 33.3% | 9 |
| 1990s | 37.3% | 33.9% | 41.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 44.7% | 42.6% | 46.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 54.4% | 48.6% | 59.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 61.1% | 59.8% | 62.2% | 5 |
More education data for SDG: Least Developed Countries
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 75.92 million (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 14.09 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 36.37 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 11.66 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.684 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 11.32 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 4.43 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.7503 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 87.82 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.09 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in SDG: Least Developed Countries?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in SDG: Least Developed Countries was 62.2% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female recorded in SDG: Least Developed Countries?
- The highest recorded value was 62.2% in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female recorded in SDG: Least Developed Countries?
- The lowest recorded value was 29.2% in 1981.
- How does SDG: Least Developed Countries rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female?
- SDG: Least Developed Countries ranks 172nd out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female rising or falling in SDG: Least Developed Countries?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this SDG: Least Developed Countries 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