Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in India
India: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes was 77.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in India, 1981–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in India stood at 77.9%. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.
That represents a change of up 8.2% on the previous year and up 24.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in India peaked at 77.9% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 32.7%, in 1981.
India ranks 34th of 53 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in India, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 32.7% | — |
| 2001 | 53.7% | +64.2% |
| 2011 | 62.6% | +16.5% |
| 2022 | 72.0% | +15.1% |
| 2023 | 77.9% | +8.2% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 77.9% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 69.1%, 1.1× the median. (16 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 32.7% | 32.7% | 32.7% | 1 |
| 2000s | 53.7% | 53.7% | 53.7% | 1 |
| 2010s | 62.6% | 62.6% | 62.6% | 1 |
| 2020s | 75.0% | 72.0% | 77.9% | 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, both sexes in India?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in India was 77.9% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 77.9% in 2023.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 32.7% in 1981.
- How does India rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes?
- India ranks 34th out of 53 countries with data for 2023.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 24.5%. 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, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release