Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes in India
India: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes was 90.3% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes in India, 1981–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes in India stood at 90.3%. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.
That represents a change of up 3.7% on the previous year and up 9.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes in India peaked at 90.3% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 65.1%, in 1981.
That places India 39th out of 57 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes in India, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 65.1% | — |
| 2001 | 78.2% | +20.1% |
| 2011 | 82.8% | +5.9% |
| 2022 | 87.1% | +5.1% |
| 2023 | 90.3% | +3.7% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 90.3% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 84.3%, 1.1× the median. (16 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 65.1% | 65.1% | 65.1% | 1 |
| 2000s | 78.2% | 78.2% | 78.2% | 1 |
| 2010s | 82.8% | 82.8% | 82.8% | 1 |
| 2020s | 88.7% | 87.1% | 90.3% | 2 |
Countries ranked near India
- 36 El Salvador 92.8% compare
- 37 Tanzania, United Republic of 91.0% compare
- 38 Tunisia 90.6% compare
- 40 Rwanda 89.8% compare
- 41 Iran, Islamic Republic of 89.5% compare
- 42 Uganda 87.7% 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, urban, both sexes in India?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes in India was 90.3% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 90.3% in 2023.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 65.1% in 1981.
- How does India rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes?
- India ranks 39th out of 57 countries with data for 2023.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.0%. 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, urban, 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