Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, male in Nepal
Nepal: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, male was 82.7% in 2019. ▲ Rising
Latest (2019)
82.7%
Change on year
down 1.6%
World rank
50th
of 57 countries
All-time high
87.9%
in 2011
All-time low
59.7%
in 1981
Years of data
5
1981–2019
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, male in Nepal, 1981–2019
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Nepal recorded 82.7% for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, male in 2019.
The figure is down 1.6% on the previous year and down 5.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, male in Nepal peaked at 87.9% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 59.7%, in 1981.
Nepal ranks 50th of 57 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, male in Nepal, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 59.7% | — |
| 2001 | 80.2% | +34.4% |
| 2011 | 87.9% | +9.6% |
| 2016 | 84.1% | -4.4% |
| 2019 | 82.7% | -1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 59.7% | 59.7% | 59.7% | 1 |
| 2000s | 80.2% | 80.2% | 80.2% | 1 |
| 2010s | 84.9% | 82.7% | 87.9% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
More education data for Nepal
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 124,257 (2025)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 263,796 (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 752,326 (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 609,324 (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.67 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.57 million (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.31 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1204 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, male in Nepal?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, male in Nepal was 82.7% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, male recorded in Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 87.9% in 2011.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, male recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 59.7% in 1981.
- How does Nepal rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, male?
- Nepal ranks 50th out of 57 countries with data for 2019.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, male rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nepal 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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About this data
February 2026 Data Release