Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, female in Iran, Islamic Republic of

Iran, Islamic Republic of: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, female was 66.5% in 2016. ▲ Rising

Latest (2016)
66.5%
Change on year
up 1.4%
World rank
39th
of 55 countries
All-time high
66.5%
in 2016
All-time low
6.6%
in 1976
Years of data
11
1976–2016

Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, female in Iran, Islamic Republic of, 1976–2016

02040601976199620161976: 6.6 %1991: 38 %1996: 50 %2005: 63.7 %2006: 63 %2008: 64.3 %2011: 65 %2012: 64.8 %2013: 65.7 %2014: 65.6 %2016: 66.5 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, female in Iran, Islamic Republic of is 66.5%, measured in 2016. That is the highest value across all 11 years on record.

That represents a change of up 1.4% on the previous year and up 5.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, female in Iran, Islamic Republic of peaked at 66.5% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 6.6%, in 1976.

Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 39th of 55 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 11 years of available data.

Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, female in Iran, Islamic Republic of, year by year

Annual values for Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, female (%) in Iran, Islamic Republic of, 1976 to 2016.
Year % Change
1976 6.6%
1991 38.0% +473.3%
1996 50.0% +31.5%
2005 63.7% +27.4%
2006 63.0% -1.2%
2008 64.3% +2.1%
2011 65.0% +1.2%
2012 64.8% -0.5%
2013 65.7% +1.5%
2014 65.6% -0.1%
2016 66.5% +1.4%

Iran, Islamic Republic of compared with similar countries

  • Iran, Islamic Republic of's 66.5% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 89.1%, 75% of the median. (24 countries reporting)
  • Iran, Islamic Republic of's 66.5% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 66.7%, 100% of the median. (10 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 6.6% 6.6% 6.6% 1
1990s 44.0% 38.0% 50.0% 2
2000s 63.6% 63.0% 64.3% 3
2010s 65.5% 64.8% 66.5% 5

Countries ranked near Iran, Islamic Republic of

  1. 36 India 69.9% compare
  2. 37 Uganda 69.8% compare
  3. 38 Tunisia 66.9% compare
  4. 40 Tanzania, United Republic of 65.3% compare
  5. 41 Cambodia 56.2% compare
  6. 42 Egypt 52.0% compare

See the full ranking of 55 places →

More education data for Iran, Islamic Republic of

All data for Iran, Islamic Republic of →

Frequently asked questions

What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, female in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, female in Iran, Islamic Republic of was 66.5% in 2016, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, female recorded in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
The highest recorded value was 66.5% in 2016.
What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, female recorded in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
The lowest recorded value was 6.6% in 1976.
How does Iran, Islamic Republic of rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, female?
Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 39th out of 55 countries with data for 2016.
Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, female rising or falling in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
Over the last ten years it is up 5.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Iran, Islamic Republic of data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, female in Iran, Islamic Republic of. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/adult-literacy-rate-population-15-years-rural-female-percent-2/iran-islamic-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, female (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
55 places, 518 data points, 1976–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release