Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India)
MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India): Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male was 79.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India), 1975–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) recorded 79.4% for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in 2024. That is the highest value across all 50 years on record.
The figure is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 11.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) peaked at 79.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 40.9%, in 1975.
That places MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) 143rd 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, male in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India), year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 40.9% | — |
| 1976 | 41.1% | +0.7% |
| 1977 | 41.7% | +1.5% |
| 1978 | 42.3% | +1.4% |
| 1979 | 42.9% | +1.3% |
| 1980 | 43.3% | +1.1% |
| 1981 | 43.7% | +0.9% |
| 1982 | 44.3% | +1.3% |
| 1983 | 45.0% | +1.6% |
| 1984 | 45.5% | +1.1% |
| 1985 | 46.0% | +1.0% |
| 1986 | 46.5% | +1.0% |
| 1987 | 46.9% | +1.0% |
| 1988 | 48.8% | +3.9% |
| 1989 | 49.4% | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 50.8% | +3.0% |
| 1991 | 51.2% | +0.8% |
| 1992 | 53.5% | +4.5% |
| 1993 | 55.8% | +4.2% |
| 1994 | 56.3% | +0.9% |
| 1995 | 57.1% | +1.5% |
| 1996 | 57.8% | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 58.5% | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 60.8% | +4.0% |
| 1999 | 61.6% | +1.3% |
| 2000 | 62.3% | +1.2% |
| 2001 | 63.0% | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 63.8% | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 66.0% | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 66.7% | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 67.3% | +1.0% |
| 2006 | 65.1% | -3.3% |
| 2007 | 65.6% | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 67.0% | +2.2% |
| 2009 | 67.9% | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 71.8% | +5.7% |
| 2011 | 70.7% | -1.6% |
| 2012 | 69.5% | -1.6% |
| 2013 | 71.1% | +2.3% |
| 2014 | 71.3% | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 74.0% | +3.7% |
| 2016 | 76.5% | +3.4% |
| 2017 | 76.8% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 76.4% | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 76.7% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 77.0% | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 77.8% | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 78.5% | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 78.9% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 79.4% | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 41.8% | 40.9% | 42.9% | 5 |
| 1980s | 45.9% | 43.3% | 49.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 56.3% | 50.8% | 61.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 65.5% | 62.3% | 67.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 73.5% | 69.5% | 76.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 78.3% | 77.0% | 79.4% | 5 |
More education data for MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 4.49 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 3.65 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.68 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate -0.7828 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 24.83 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 3.99 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 26.38 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 3.33 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 16.69 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 6.02 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India)?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) was 79.4% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male recorded in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India)?
- The highest recorded value was 79.4% in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male recorded in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India)?
- The lowest recorded value was 40.9% in 1975.
- How does MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male?
- MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) ranks 143rd out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male rising or falling in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release