Literacy rate, adult total in Arab World
Arab World: Literacy rate, adult total was 79.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, adult total in Arab World, 1979–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of people ages 15 and above.
Analysis
In 2024, literacy rate, adult total in Arab World stood at 79.0%. That is the highest value across all 46 years on record.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 3.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult total in Arab World peaked at 79.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 48.3%, in 1979.
That places Arab World 23rd out of 39 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 46 years of available data.
Literacy rate, adult total in Arab World, year by year
| Year | % of people ages 15 and above | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 48.3% | — |
| 1980 | 48.9% | +1.1% |
| 1981 | 49.4% | +1.1% |
| 1982 | 50.1% | +1.4% |
| 1983 | 50.2% | +0.2% |
| 1984 | 51.0% | +1.5% |
| 1985 | 51.7% | +1.5% |
| 1986 | 52.4% | +1.4% |
| 1987 | 53.2% | +1.4% |
| 1988 | 54.1% | +1.7% |
| 1989 | 55.0% | +1.7% |
| 1990 | 56.0% | +1.8% |
| 1991 | 56.9% | +1.6% |
| 1992 | 57.9% | +1.7% |
| 1993 | 58.5% | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 59.3% | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 60.2% | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 61.2% | +1.7% |
| 1997 | 62.2% | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 63.3% | +1.8% |
| 1999 | 64.2% | +1.5% |
| 2000 | 65.2% | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 66.2% | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 67.3% | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 70.0% | +4.0% |
| 2004 | 70.9% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 71.4% | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 69.2% | -3.1% |
| 2007 | 70.0% | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 70.9% | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 72.0% | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 72.6% | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 74.3% | +2.4% |
| 2012 | 75.2% | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 76.2% | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 76.3% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 77.2% | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 75.9% | -1.6% |
| 2017 | 76.6% | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 76.9% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 77.2% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 77.6% | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 77.9% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 78.3% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 78.6% | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 79.0% | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 48.3% | 48.3% | 48.3% | 1 |
| 1980s | 51.6% | 48.9% | 55.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 60.0% | 56.0% | 64.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 69.3% | 65.2% | 72.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 75.8% | 72.6% | 77.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 78.3% | 77.6% | 79.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Arab World
More education data for Arab World
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 2.58 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 40.79 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 55.62 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.7891 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1129 units per person (2024)
- Population ages 0-14 32.0% (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 63.3% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, adult total in Arab World?
- Literacy rate, adult total in Arab World was 79.0% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, adult total recorded in Arab World?
- The highest recorded value was 79.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, adult total recorded in Arab World?
- The lowest recorded value was 48.3% in 1979.
- How does Arab World rank for literacy rate, adult total?
- Arab World ranks 23rd out of 39 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, adult total rising or falling in Arab World?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Arab World data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Literacy rate, adult total (% of people 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.