Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income)
WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income): Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female was 65.3% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income), 1973–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income) is 65.3%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 52 years on record.
The figure is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 9.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income) peaked at 65.3% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 20.9%, in 1973.
WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income) ranks 149th of 203 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 52 years of available data.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income), year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 20.9% | — |
| 1974 | 21.2% | +1.7% |
| 1975 | 21.6% | +1.9% |
| 1976 | 22.1% | +1.9% |
| 1977 | 22.7% | +2.9% |
| 1978 | 23.4% | +3.2% |
| 1979 | 24.2% | +3.2% |
| 1980 | 25.0% | +3.3% |
| 1981 | 25.7% | +3.1% |
| 1982 | 26.6% | +3.3% |
| 1983 | 27.6% | +3.6% |
| 1984 | 28.5% | +3.5% |
| 1985 | 29.5% | +3.5% |
| 1986 | 30.6% | +3.5% |
| 1987 | 31.6% | +3.3% |
| 1988 | 32.6% | +3.3% |
| 1989 | 33.7% | +3.2% |
| 1990 | 35.8% | +6.4% |
| 1991 | 36.9% | +3.1% |
| 1992 | 38.0% | +3.0% |
| 1993 | 38.5% | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 39.4% | +2.3% |
| 1995 | 41.0% | +3.9% |
| 1996 | 42.2% | +2.9% |
| 1997 | 43.4% | +2.9% |
| 1998 | 44.6% | +2.8% |
| 1999 | 45.9% | +2.8% |
| 2000 | 47.1% | +2.6% |
| 2001 | 48.4% | +2.8% |
| 2002 | 49.6% | +2.5% |
| 2003 | 50.9% | +2.6% |
| 2004 | 52.0% | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 53.1% | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 53.2% | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 54.1% | +1.8% |
| 2008 | 56.0% | +3.5% |
| 2009 | 56.8% | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 57.5% | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 57.8% | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 58.6% | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 59.0% | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 59.6% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 60.6% | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 60.5% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 60.8% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 61.0% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 61.6% | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 62.2% | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 62.9% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 63.7% | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 64.5% | +1.3% |
| 2024 | 65.3% | +1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 22.3% | 20.9% | 24.2% | 7 |
| 1980s | 29.1% | 25.0% | 33.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 40.6% | 35.8% | 45.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 52.1% | 47.1% | 56.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 59.7% | 57.5% | 61.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 63.7% | 62.2% | 65.3% | 5 |
More education data for WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 2.74 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 8.74 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 3.82 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 8.80 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 1.85 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.02 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 29.02 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.80 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 32.64 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 4.06 % change on previous year (2024)
All data for WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income)?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income) was 65.3% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female recorded in WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income)?
- The highest recorded value was 65.3% in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female recorded in WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.9% in 1973.
- How does WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income) rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female?
- WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income) ranks 149th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female rising or falling in WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income) 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