Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, male in Iran, Islamic Republic of

Iran, Islamic Republic of: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, male was 93.3% in 2016. ▲ Rising

Latest (2016)
93.3%
Change on year
up 0.6%
World rank
39th
of 57 countries
All-time high
93.3%
in 2016
All-time low
67.3%
in 1976
Years of data
11
1976–2016

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

0204060801001976199620161976: 67.3 %1991: 83 %1996: 86.5 %2005: 91.9 %2006: 91.4 %2008: 91.7 %2011: 91.6 %2012: 92.2 %2013: 92.8 %2014: 92.8 %2016: 93.3 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2016, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, male in Iran, Islamic Republic of stood at 93.3%. That is the highest value across all 11 years on record.

The figure is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 2.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, male in Iran, Islamic Republic of peaked at 93.3% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 67.3%, in 1976.

That places Iran, Islamic Republic of 39th out of 57 countries with data for 2016, putting it 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, urban, male in Iran, Islamic Republic of, year by year

Annual values for Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, male (%) in Iran, Islamic Republic of, 1976 to 2016.
Year % Change
1976 67.3%
1991 83.0% +23.3%
1996 86.5% +4.1%
2005 91.9% +6.3%
2006 91.4% -0.6%
2008 91.7% +0.4%
2011 91.6% -0.1%
2012 92.2% +0.7%
2013 92.8% +0.7%
2014 92.8% -0.1%
2016 93.3% +0.6%

Iran, Islamic Republic of compared with similar countries

  • Iran, Islamic Republic of's 93.3% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 97.4%, 96% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
  • Iran, Islamic Republic of's 93.3% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 96.7%, 97% of the median. (11 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 67.3% 67.3% 67.3% 1
1990s 84.7% 83.0% 86.5% 2
2000s 91.7% 91.4% 91.9% 3
2010s 92.6% 91.6% 93.3% 5

Countries ranked near Iran, Islamic Republic of

  1. 36 South Africa 94.2% compare
  2. 37 Togo 94.1% compare
  3. 38 Tanzania, United Republic of 93.8% compare
  4. 40 Thailand 93.2% compare
  5. 41 Honduras 92.5% compare
  6. 42 Guatemala 91.4% compare

See the full ranking of 57 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, urban, male in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, male in Iran, Islamic Republic of was 93.3% in 2016, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, male recorded in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
The highest recorded value was 93.3% in 2016.
What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, male recorded in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
The lowest recorded value was 67.3% in 1976.
How does Iran, Islamic Republic of rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, male?
Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 39th out of 57 countries with data for 2016.
Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, male rising or falling in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
Over the last ten years it is up 2.1%. 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, urban, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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

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About this data

Indicator
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, male (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
57 places, 550 data points, 1976–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release