Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes was 79.0% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes in Bangladesh, 1981–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Bangladesh recorded 79.0% for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.2% on the previous year and up 13.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes in Bangladesh peaked at 82.5% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 48.2%, in 1981.
That places Bangladesh 49th out of 57 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes in Bangladesh, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 48.2% | — |
| 1991 | 54.4% | +13.0% |
| 2001 | 64.3% | +18.1% |
| 2011 | 70.2% | +9.2% |
| 2012 | 69.9% | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 74.1% | +6.0% |
| 2014 | 74.5% | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 75.8% | +1.8% |
| 2016 | 81.0% | +6.8% |
| 2017 | 81.1% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 81.7% | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 82.2% | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 82.4% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 82.5% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 79.0% | -4.2% |
Bangladesh compared with similar countries
- Bangladesh's 79.0% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 84.3%, 94% of the median. (16 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 48.2% | 48.2% | 48.2% | 1 |
| 1990s | 54.4% | 54.4% | 54.4% | 1 |
| 2000s | 64.3% | 64.3% | 64.3% | 1 |
| 2010s | 76.7% | 69.9% | 82.2% | 9 |
| 2020s | 81.3% | 79.0% | 82.5% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Bangladesh
More education data for Bangladesh
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 571,690 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 387,056 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.73 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.77 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 15.07 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 16.69 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.67 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0961 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes in Bangladesh?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes in Bangladesh was 79.0% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes recorded in Bangladesh?
- The highest recorded value was 82.5% in 2021.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes recorded in Bangladesh?
- The lowest recorded value was 48.2% in 1981.
- How does Bangladesh rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes?
- Bangladesh ranks 49th out of 57 countries with data for 2022.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes rising or falling in Bangladesh?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bangladesh data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release