Literacy rate, adult total in India
India: Literacy rate, adult total was 78.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, adult total in India, 1981–2024
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 India is 78.2%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.3% on the previous year and up 11.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult total in India peaked at 81.7% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 40.8%, in 1981.
India ranks 62nd of 89 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 14 years of available data.
Literacy rate, adult total in India, year by year
| Year | % of people ages 15 and above | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 40.8% | — |
| 1991 | 48.2% | +18.3% |
| 2001 | 61.0% | +26.5% |
| 2006 | 62.8% | +2.9% |
| 2010 | 68.3% | +8.9% |
| 2011 | 69.3% | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 69.8% | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 73.7% | +5.5% |
| 2019 | 74.9% | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 75.5% | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 76.1% | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 76.3% | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 81.7% | +7.0% |
| 2024 | 78.2% | -4.3% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 78.2% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 78.2%, 1.0× the median. (31 countries reporting)
- India's 78.2% is below the median for South Asia, which is 79.0%, 99% of the median. (5 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Literacy rate, adult total in India changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | +26.5% | 48.2% | 61.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 40.8% | 40.8% | 40.8% | 1 |
| 1990s | 48.2% | 48.2% | 48.2% | 1 |
| 2000s | 61.9% | 61.0% | 62.8% | 2 |
| 2010s | 71.2% | 68.3% | 74.9% | 5 |
| 2020s | 77.6% | 75.5% | 81.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near India
- 59 Bangladesh 79.0% compare
- 60 Rwanda 78.8% compare
- 61 Tanzania, United Republic of 78.2% compare
- 63 Uganda 77.0% compare
- 64 Ghana 76.5% compare
- 65 Lao People's Democratic Republic 75.6% compare
More education data for India
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7.31 million (2025)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 3.10 million (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 19.37 million (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 18.52 million (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 133.16 million (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 126.12 million (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -8.85 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0862 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, adult total in India?
- Literacy rate, adult total in India was 78.2% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, adult total recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 81.7% in 2023.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, adult total recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 40.8% in 1981.
- How does India rank for literacy rate, adult total?
- India ranks 62nd out of 89 countries with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, adult total rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this India 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.