Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female in India
India: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female was 86.2% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female in India, 1981–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
India recorded 86.2% for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female in 2023. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.
That represents a change of up 5.0% on the previous year and up 12.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female in India peaked at 86.2% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 51.9%, in 1981.
That places India 39th out of 59 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female in India, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 51.9% | — |
| 2001 | 69.7% | +34.4% |
| 2011 | 77.0% | +10.4% |
| 2022 | 82.1% | +6.7% |
| 2023 | 86.2% | +5.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 51.9% | 51.9% | 51.9% | 1 |
| 2000s | 69.7% | 69.7% | 69.7% | 1 |
| 2010s | 77.0% | 77.0% | 77.0% | 1 |
| 2020s | 84.2% | 82.1% | 86.2% | 2 |
Countries ranked near India
- 36 El Salvador 91.2% compare
- 37 Tanzania, United Republic of 88.9% compare
- 38 Rwanda 88.7% compare
- 40 Tunisia 86.2% compare
- 41 Iran, Islamic Republic of 85.8% compare
- 42 Uganda 84.8% 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, female in India?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female in India was 86.2% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 86.2% in 2023.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 51.9% in 1981.
- How does India rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female?
- India ranks 39th out of 59 countries with data for 2023.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.0%. 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, female (%). 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