Cross country literacy rates in Iran
Iran: Cross country literacy rates was 88.92 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Cross country literacy rates in Iran, 1950–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2023, cross country literacy rates in Iran stood at 88.92. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
The figure is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 5.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cross country literacy rates in Iran peaked at 88.92 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 12.5, in 1950.
That places Iran 76th out of 128 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Cross country literacy rates in Iran, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 12.5 | — |
| 1976 | 36.52 | +192.2% |
| 1986 | 52.32 | +43.3% |
| 1991 | 65.53 | +25.2% |
| 1996 | 73.06 | +11.5% |
| 2002 | 77 | +5.4% |
| 2005 | 82.44 | +7.1% |
| 2006 | 82.33 | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 82.96 | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 83.22 | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 83.66 | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 83.52 | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 83.63 | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 84.63 | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 84.71 | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 85.28 | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 85.54 | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 85.95 | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 86.87 | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 87.38 | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 87.9 | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 88.46 | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 88.59 | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 88.92 | +0.4% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 88.92 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 95.44, 93% of the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Iran's 88.92 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 93.31, 95% of the median. (19 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Cross country literacy rates in Iran changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | +192.2% | 12.5 | 36.52 |
| 1986 | +43.3% | 36.52 | 52.32 |
| 1991 | +25.2% | 52.32 | 65.53 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 12.5 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 1 |
| 1970s | 36.52 | 36.52 | 36.52 | 1 |
| 1980s | 52.32 | 52.32 | 52.32 | 1 |
| 1990s | 69.3 | 65.53 | 73.06 | 2 |
| 2000s | 81.59 | 77 | 83.22 | 5 |
| 2010s | 85.12 | 83.52 | 87.38 | 10 |
| 2020s | 88.47 | 87.9 | 88.92 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iran
More education data for Iran
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 98.5 (2020)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 99.9 (2023)
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 406,399 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 108,066 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 519,698 (2020)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 505,053 (2020)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.62 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 9.09 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 3.31 % change on previous year (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is cross country literacy rates in Iran?
- Cross country literacy rates in Iran was 88.92 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest cross country literacy rates recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 88.92 in 2023.
- What is the lowest cross country literacy rates recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.5 in 1950.
- How does Iran rank for cross country literacy rates?
- Iran ranks 76th out of 128 countries with data for 2023.
- Is cross country literacy rates rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iran data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Cross country literacy rates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).