Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, adjusted gender in India
India: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, adjusted gender was 0.82 GPIA in 2023. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, adjusted gender in India, 1981–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in GPIA.
Analysis
The most recent figure for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, adjusted gender in India is 0.82 GPIA, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.5% on the previous year and up 20.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, adjusted gender in India peaked at 0.82 GPIA in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.37 GPIA, in 1981.
India ranks 37th of 53 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, adjusted gender in India, year by year
| Year | GPIA | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 0.37 GPIA | — |
| 2001 | 0.57 GPIA | +54.1% |
| 2011 | 0.68 GPIA | +19.3% |
| 2022 | 0.8 GPIA | +17.6% |
| 2023 | 0.82 GPIA | +2.5% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 0.82 GPIA is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.755 GPIA, 1.1× the median. (16 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.37 GPIA | 0.37 GPIA | 0.37 GPIA | 1 |
| 2000s | 0.57 GPIA | 0.57 GPIA | 0.57 GPIA | 1 |
| 2010s | 0.68 GPIA | 0.68 GPIA | 0.68 GPIA | 1 |
| 2020s | 0.81 GPIA | 0.8 GPIA | 0.82 GPIA | 2 |
Countries ranked near India
More education data for India
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7.31 million (2025)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 3.10 million (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 19.37 million (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 18.52 million (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 133.16 million (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 126.12 million (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -8.85 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0862 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, adjusted gender in India?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, adjusted gender in India was 0.82 GPIA in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, adjusted gender recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 0.82 GPIA in 2023.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, adjusted gender recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.37 GPIA in 1981.
- How does India rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, adjusted gender?
- India ranks 37th out of 53 countries with data for 2023.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, adjusted gender rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this India data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, adjusted gender parity index (GPIA). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release