Literacy rate, adult male in Egypt

Egypt: Literacy rate, adult male was 85.3% in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
85.3%
Change on year
down 3.2%
World rank
59th
of 88 countries
All-time high
88.1%
in 2021
All-time low
53.6%
in 1976
Years of data
11
1976–2022

Literacy rate, adult male in Egypt, 1976–2022

0204060801976199920221976: 53.6 % of males ages 15 and above1986: 57 % of males ages 15 and above1996: 67.2 % of males ages 15 and above2005: 77.9 % of males ages 15 and above2006: 74.6 % of males ages 15 and above2010: 80.3 % of males ages 15 and above2012: 81.7 % of males ages 15 and above2013: 81.7 % of males ages 15 and above2017: 76.5 % of males ages 15 and above2021: 88.1 % of males ages 15 and above2022: 85.3 % of males ages 15 and above

Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of males ages 15 and above.

Analysis

The most recent figure for literacy rate, adult male in Egypt is 85.3%, measured in 2022.

The figure is down 3.2% on the previous year and up 4.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult male in Egypt peaked at 88.1% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 53.6%, in 1976.

That places Egypt 59th out of 88 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 11 years of available data.

Literacy rate, adult male in Egypt, year by year

Annual values for Literacy rate, adult male (% of males ages 15 and above) in Egypt, 1976 to 2022.
Year % of males ages 15 and above Change
1976 53.6%
1986 57.0% +6.3%
1996 67.2% +17.8%
2005 77.9% +16.0%
2006 74.6% -4.2%
2010 80.3% +7.6%
2012 81.7% +1.8%
2013 81.7% +0.0%
2017 76.5% -6.4%
2021 88.1% +15.2%
2022 85.3% -3.2%

Egypt compared with similar countries

  • Egypt's 85.3% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 83.7%, 1.0× the median. (30 countries reporting)
  • Egypt's 85.3% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 96.6%, 88% of the median. (15 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 53.6% 53.6% 53.6% 1
1980s 57.0% 57.0% 57.0% 1
1990s 67.2% 67.2% 67.2% 1
2000s 76.3% 74.6% 77.9% 2
2010s 80.0% 76.5% 81.7% 4
2020s 86.7% 85.3% 88.1% 2

Countries ranked near Egypt

  1. 56 Guatemala 86.9% compare
  2. 57 India 85.7% compare
  3. 58 Democratic Republic of Congo 85.4% compare
  4. 60 Laos 85.1% compare
  5. 61 Tanzania 84.2% compare
  6. 62 Lesotho 83.2% compare

See the full ranking of 127 places →

More education data for Egypt

All data for Egypt →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate, adult male in Egypt?
Literacy rate, adult male in Egypt was 85.3% in 2022, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest literacy rate, adult male recorded in Egypt?
The highest recorded value was 88.1% in 2021.
What is the lowest literacy rate, adult male recorded in Egypt?
The lowest recorded value was 53.6% in 1976.
How does Egypt rank for literacy rate, adult male?
Egypt ranks 59th out of 88 countries with data for 2022.
Is literacy rate, adult male rising or falling in Egypt?
Over the last ten years it is up 4.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Egypt data come from?
The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Literacy rate, adult male (% of males ages 15 and above). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Literacy rate, adult male in Egypt. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-adult-male-percent-of-males-ages-15-and-above/egypt-arab-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, adult male (% of males ages 15 and above)
Unit
% of males ages 15 and above
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
127 places, 2,578 data points, 1974–2024
Last refreshed

Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.