Literacy rate, adult male in Nepal
Nepal: Literacy rate, adult male was 79.8% in 2019. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, adult male in Nepal, 1981–2019
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of males ages 15 and above.
Analysis
Nepal recorded 79.8% for literacy rate, adult male in 2019. That is the highest value across all 8 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.9% on the previous year and up 12.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult male in Nepal peaked at 79.8% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 31.7%, in 1981.
Nepal ranks 69th of 88 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Literacy rate, adult male in Nepal, year by year
| Year | % of males ages 15 and above | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 31.7% | — |
| 1991 | 49.2% | +55.4% |
| 2001 | 62.7% | +27.4% |
| 2008 | 70.7% | +12.7% |
| 2011 | 71.7% | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 78.3% | +9.2% |
| 2017 | 79.1% | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 79.8% | +0.9% |
Nepal compared with similar countries
- Nepal's 79.8% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 83.7%, 95% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
- Nepal's 79.8% is below the median for South Asia, which is 85.7%, 93% of the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 31.7% | 31.7% | 31.7% | 1 |
| 1990s | 49.2% | 49.2% | 49.2% | 1 |
| 2000s | 66.7% | 62.7% | 70.7% | 2 |
| 2010s | 77.2% | 71.7% | 79.8% | 4 |
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 literacy rate, adult male in Nepal?
- Literacy rate, adult male in Nepal was 79.8% in 2019, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, adult male recorded in Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 79.8% in 2019.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, adult male recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 31.7% in 1981.
- How does Nepal rank for literacy rate, adult male?
- Nepal ranks 69th out of 88 countries with data for 2019.
- Is literacy rate, adult male rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nepal 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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About this data
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.