Literacy rate, adult total in IDA total
IDA total: Literacy rate, adult total was 70.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, adult total in IDA total, 1980–2024
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 IDA total is 70.0%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.5% on the previous year and up 10.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult total in IDA total peaked at 70.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 44.9%, in 1980.
That places IDA total 30th out of 39 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Literacy rate, adult total in IDA total, year by year
| Year | % of people ages 15 and above | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 44.9% | — |
| 1981 | 45.1% | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 45.4% | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 45.8% | +0.7% |
| 1984 | 46.1% | +0.8% |
| 1985 | 46.5% | +0.8% |
| 1986 | 46.8% | +0.8% |
| 1987 | 47.4% | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 48.2% | +1.7% |
| 1989 | 48.7% | +1.1% |
| 1990 | 49.3% | +1.2% |
| 1991 | 49.8% | +0.9% |
| 1992 | 50.6% | +1.6% |
| 1993 | 51.5% | +1.7% |
| 1994 | 52.2% | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 52.9% | +1.3% |
| 1996 | 53.5% | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 54.2% | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 55.5% | +2.3% |
| 1999 | 56.3% | +1.5% |
| 2000 | 55.9% | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 56.7% | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 57.4% | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 58.2% | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 58.8% | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 58.9% | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 57.7% | -2.1% |
| 2007 | 57.9% | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 58.4% | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 58.9% | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 60.6% | +3.0% |
| 2011 | 61.7% | +1.7% |
| 2012 | 61.8% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 62.9% | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 63.5% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 64.9% | +2.2% |
| 2016 | 66.3% | +2.2% |
| 2017 | 66.9% | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 68.0% | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 68.2% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 68.5% | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 68.9% | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 69.4% | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 69.7% | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 70.0% | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 46.5% | 44.9% | 48.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 52.6% | 49.3% | 56.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 57.9% | 55.9% | 58.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 64.5% | 60.6% | 68.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 69.3% | 68.5% | 70.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near IDA total
More education data for IDA total
- Population ages 15-64 58.4% (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 263.89 million (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 7.15 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.06 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Population ages 0-14 37.6% (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1356 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 135.69 million (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, adult total in IDA total?
- Literacy rate, adult total in IDA total was 70.0% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, adult total recorded in IDA total?
- The highest recorded value was 70.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, adult total recorded in IDA total?
- The lowest recorded value was 44.9% in 1980.
- How does IDA total rank for literacy rate, adult total?
- IDA total ranks 30th out of 39 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, adult total rising or falling in IDA total?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this IDA total 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.