Literacy rate, adult total in Low income
Low income: Literacy rate, adult total was 63.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, adult total in Low income, 1988–2024
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 Low income is 63.6%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 37 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 7.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult total in Low income peaked at 63.6% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 46.5%, in 1988.
That places Low income 38th out of 39 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 37 years of available data.
Literacy rate, adult total in Low income, year by year
| Year | % of people ages 15 and above | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 46.5% | — |
| 1989 | 46.9% | +0.9% |
| 1990 | 47.4% | +1.1% |
| 1991 | 47.7% | +0.6% |
| 1992 | 47.8% | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 48.1% | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 48.3% | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 48.8% | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 49.2% | +0.7% |
| 1997 | 49.8% | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 50.4% | +1.3% |
| 1999 | 51.0% | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 51.4% | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 52.1% | +1.2% |
| 2002 | 52.7% | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 53.1% | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 53.6% | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 54.0% | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 52.2% | -3.4% |
| 2007 | 53.4% | +2.3% |
| 2008 | 54.2% | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 54.8% | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 55.3% | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 57.5% | +4.0% |
| 2012 | 58.0% | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 58.9% | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 59.0% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 59.7% | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 60.4% | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 61.4% | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 61.7% | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 61.7% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 61.9% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 62.3% | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 62.8% | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 63.2% | +0.7% |
| 2024 | 63.6% | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 46.7% | 46.5% | 46.9% | 2 |
| 1990s | 48.9% | 47.4% | 51.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 53.2% | 51.4% | 54.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 59.4% | 55.3% | 61.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 62.8% | 61.9% | 63.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Low income
More education data for Low income
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.02 % change on previous year (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1505 units per person (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 2.88 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 43.24 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 40.9% (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 55.8% (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 112.44 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, adult total in Low income?
- Literacy rate, adult total in Low income was 63.6% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, adult total recorded in Low income?
- The highest recorded value was 63.6% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, adult total recorded in Low income?
- The lowest recorded value was 46.5% in 1988.
- How does Low income rank for literacy rate, adult total?
- Low income ranks 38th out of 39 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, adult total rising or falling in Low income?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Low income 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.