Literacy rate, adult total in Least developed countries
Least developed countries: Literacy rate, adult total was 68.3% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, adult total in Least developed countries, 1981–2024
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 Least developed countries stood at 68.3%. That is the highest value across all 44 years on record.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 12.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult total in Least developed countries peaked at 68.3% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 40.5%, in 1981.
That places Least developed countries 35th out of 39 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 44 years of available data.
Literacy rate, adult total in Least developed countries, year by year
| Year | % of people ages 15 and above | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 40.5% | — |
| 1982 | 40.7% | +0.7% |
| 1983 | 41.0% | +0.8% |
| 1984 | 41.4% | +0.9% |
| 1985 | 41.8% | +1.0% |
| 1986 | 42.2% | +0.9% |
| 1987 | 42.6% | +1.1% |
| 1988 | 43.6% | +2.3% |
| 1989 | 44.1% | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 44.7% | +1.2% |
| 1991 | 45.1% | +0.9% |
| 1992 | 45.5% | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 46.0% | +1.1% |
| 1994 | 46.8% | +1.7% |
| 1995 | 47.7% | +2.0% |
| 1996 | 48.2% | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 48.9% | +1.4% |
| 1998 | 50.6% | +3.4% |
| 1999 | 51.5% | +1.7% |
| 2000 | 52.1% | +1.2% |
| 2001 | 52.8% | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 53.5% | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 54.2% | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 54.8% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 55.2% | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 52.7% | -4.6% |
| 2007 | 53.7% | +1.8% |
| 2008 | 54.0% | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 54.6% | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 57.1% | +4.5% |
| 2011 | 58.8% | +3.0% |
| 2012 | 58.2% | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 60.2% | +3.5% |
| 2014 | 60.8% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 62.7% | +3.2% |
| 2016 | 64.6% | +3.0% |
| 2017 | 65.5% | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 66.0% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 66.2% | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 66.5% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 67.0% | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 67.5% | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 68.0% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 68.3% | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 42.0% | 40.5% | 44.1% | 9 |
| 1990s | 47.5% | 44.7% | 51.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 53.8% | 52.1% | 55.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 62.0% | 57.1% | 66.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 67.5% | 66.5% | 68.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Least developed countries
More education data for Least developed countries
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 4.43 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 75.92 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 171.01 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.04 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1441 units per person (2024)
- Population ages 0-14 38.4% (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 57.7% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, adult total in Least developed countries?
- Literacy rate, adult total in Least developed countries was 68.3% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, adult total recorded in Least developed countries?
- The highest recorded value was 68.3% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, adult total recorded in Least developed countries?
- The lowest recorded value was 40.5% in 1981.
- How does Least developed countries rank for literacy rate, adult total?
- Least developed countries ranks 35th out of 39 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, adult total rising or falling in Least developed countries?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Least developed 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.