Literacy rate, adult total in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)
Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries): Literacy rate, adult total was 99.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, adult total in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries), 1983–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of people ages 15 and above.
Analysis
The most recent figure for literacy rate, adult total in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) is 99.4%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 42 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult total in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 99.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 93.6%, in 1983.
That places Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) 2nd out of 39 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 42 years of available data.
Literacy rate, adult total in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | % of people ages 15 and above | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 93.6% | — |
| 1984 | 94.5% | +0.9% |
| 1985 | 94.7% | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 94.8% | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 95.0% | +0.2% |
| 1988 | 95.2% | +0.2% |
| 1989 | 95.3% | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 95.5% | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 95.7% | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 95.8% | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 96.0% | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 96.1% | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 96.3% | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 96.5% | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 96.6% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 96.9% | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 97.0% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 97.2% | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 97.3% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 97.4% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 97.4% | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 97.5% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 97.6% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 97.6% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 97.7% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 97.8% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 98.2% | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 98.5% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 98.7% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 98.8% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 98.9% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 98.9% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 99.0% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 99.0% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 99.1% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 99.2% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 99.3% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 99.3% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 99.3% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 99.3% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 99.4% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 99.4% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 94.7% | 93.6% | 95.3% | 7 |
| 1990s | 96.3% | 95.5% | 97.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 97.6% | 97.2% | 98.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 98.9% | 98.5% | 99.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 99.3% | 99.3% | 99.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)
- 1 Uzbekistan 100.0% compare
- 2 Armenia 99.8% compare
- 3 Azerbaijan 99.8% compare
- 4 Tajikistan 99.7% compare
- 5 Spain 99.7% compare
More education data for Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 44.41 million (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 1.45 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 19.8% (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 65.4% (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.105 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0567 units per person (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 26.07 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, adult total in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Literacy rate, adult total in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) was 99.4% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, adult total recorded in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 99.4% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, adult total recorded in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 93.6% in 1983.
- How does Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for literacy rate, adult total?
- Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 2nd out of 39 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, adult total rising or falling in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) 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.