Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd)
WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd): Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female was 65.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd), 1972–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd) recorded 65.0% for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in 2024. That is the highest value across all 53 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it 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 (ida & Ibrd) peaked at 65.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 20.3%, in 1972.
That places WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd) 152nd 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 53 years of available data.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd), year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 20.3% | — |
| 1973 | 20.6% | +1.6% |
| 1974 | 20.9% | +1.7% |
| 1975 | 21.4% | +1.9% |
| 1976 | 21.8% | +2.0% |
| 1977 | 22.4% | +2.9% |
| 1978 | 23.1% | +3.3% |
| 1979 | 23.9% | +3.2% |
| 1980 | 24.7% | +3.3% |
| 1981 | 25.5% | +3.2% |
| 1982 | 26.3% | +3.4% |
| 1983 | 27.3% | +3.7% |
| 1984 | 28.3% | +3.6% |
| 1985 | 29.3% | +3.6% |
| 1986 | 30.3% | +3.5% |
| 1987 | 31.3% | +3.4% |
| 1988 | 32.4% | +3.3% |
| 1989 | 33.4% | +3.2% |
| 1990 | 35.6% | +6.5% |
| 1991 | 36.7% | +3.1% |
| 1992 | 37.8% | +3.0% |
| 1993 | 38.3% | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 39.2% | +2.3% |
| 1995 | 40.7% | +3.9% |
| 1996 | 41.9% | +2.9% |
| 1997 | 43.1% | +2.9% |
| 1998 | 44.4% | +2.9% |
| 1999 | 45.6% | +2.9% |
| 2000 | 46.9% | +2.6% |
| 2001 | 48.2% | +2.8% |
| 2002 | 49.4% | +2.5% |
| 2003 | 50.7% | +2.6% |
| 2004 | 51.8% | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 52.8% | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 52.9% | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 53.9% | +1.9% |
| 2008 | 55.8% | +3.5% |
| 2009 | 56.6% | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 57.2% | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 57.6% | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 58.3% | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 58.8% | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 59.4% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 60.4% | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 60.2% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 60.5% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 60.8% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 61.4% | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 62.0% | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 62.7% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 63.5% | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 64.3% | +1.3% |
| 2024 | 65.0% | +1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 21.8% | 20.3% | 23.9% | 8 |
| 1980s | 28.9% | 24.7% | 33.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 40.4% | 35.6% | 45.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 51.9% | 46.9% | 56.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 59.5% | 57.2% | 61.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 63.5% | 62.0% | 65.0% | 5 |
More education data for WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 5.55 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 14.92 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 4.73 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 32.41 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 6.5 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 28.76 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 2.17 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 2.81 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 40.56 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 2.95 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd)?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd) was 65.0% 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 (ida & Ibrd)?
- The highest recorded value was 65.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female recorded in WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd)?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.3% in 1972.
- How does WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd) rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female?
- WB: Middle East & North Africa (ida & Ibrd) ranks 152nd 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 (ida & Ibrd)?
- 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 (ida & Ibrd) 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