Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, male in India
India: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, male was 85.7% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, male in India, 1981–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, male in India is 85.7%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.
That represents a change of up 7.1% on the previous year and up 15.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, male in India peaked at 85.7% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 47.3%, in 1981.
India ranks 31st of 53 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, male in India, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 47.3% | — |
| 2001 | 67.9% | +43.7% |
| 2011 | 74.1% | +9.1% |
| 2022 | 80.0% | +8.0% |
| 2023 | 85.7% | +7.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 47.3% | 47.3% | 47.3% | 1 |
| 2000s | 67.9% | 67.9% | 67.9% | 1 |
| 2010s | 74.1% | 74.1% | 74.1% | 1 |
| 2020s | 82.8% | 80.0% | 85.7% | 2 |
Countries ranked near India
- 28 Tunisia 87.1% compare
- 29 Dominican Republic 85.9% compare
- 30 South Africa 85.7% compare
- 32 Brazil 83.6% compare
- 32 El Salvador 83.6% compare
- 34 Uganda 82.6% compare
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, male in India?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, male in India was 85.7% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, male recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 85.7% in 2023.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, male recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 47.3% in 1981.
- How does India rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, male?
- India ranks 31st out of 53 countries with data for 2023.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, male rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.6%. 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, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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