Literacy rate, adult total in Lower middle income
Lower middle income: Literacy rate, adult total was 78.3% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, adult total in Lower middle income, 1975–2024
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 Lower middle income is 78.3%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 50 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.6% on the previous year and up 8.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult total in Lower middle income peaked at 78.3% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 43.7%, in 1975.
That places Lower middle income 24th out of 39 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 50 years of available data.
Literacy rate, adult total in Lower middle income, year by year
| Year | % of people ages 15 and above | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 43.7% | — |
| 1976 | 43.8% | +0.2% |
| 1977 | 44.4% | +1.3% |
| 1978 | 45.0% | +1.3% |
| 1979 | 45.5% | +1.3% |
| 1980 | 46.1% | +1.2% |
| 1981 | 46.6% | +1.2% |
| 1982 | 47.2% | +1.2% |
| 1983 | 47.7% | +1.1% |
| 1984 | 48.3% | +1.3% |
| 1985 | 49.0% | +1.3% |
| 1986 | 49.5% | +1.1% |
| 1987 | 50.3% | +1.7% |
| 1988 | 51.0% | +1.3% |
| 1989 | 51.7% | +1.4% |
| 1990 | 52.4% | +1.4% |
| 1991 | 53.2% | +1.4% |
| 1992 | 54.1% | +1.7% |
| 1993 | 55.0% | +1.7% |
| 1994 | 55.9% | +1.6% |
| 1995 | 56.7% | +1.5% |
| 1996 | 57.5% | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 58.4% | +1.4% |
| 1998 | 61.9% | +6.0% |
| 1999 | 62.6% | +1.3% |
| 2000 | 62.9% | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 63.6% | +1.2% |
| 2002 | 64.3% | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 65.4% | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 66.1% | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 65.9% | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 65.9% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 66.4% | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 67.0% | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 67.7% | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 69.6% | +2.8% |
| 2011 | 70.3% | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 70.7% | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 71.6% | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 72.2% | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 73.3% | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 74.1% | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 74.6% | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 75.4% | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 75.4% | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 76.0% | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 76.7% | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 77.3% | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 77.8% | +0.7% |
| 2024 | 78.3% | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 44.5% | 43.7% | 45.5% | 5 |
| 1980s | 48.8% | 46.1% | 51.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 56.8% | 52.4% | 62.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 65.5% | 62.9% | 67.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 72.7% | 69.6% | 75.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 77.2% | 76.0% | 78.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lower middle income
- 21 Singapore 97.7% compare
- 22 Oman 97.3% compare
- 23 Türkiye 97.3% compare
- 24 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 97.2% compare
- 25 China 96.7% compare
- 26 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 96.7% compare
- 27 Macau, China 96.5% compare
More education data for Lower middle income
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 265.94 million (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 11.30 million (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 343.48 million (2024)
- Population ages 0-14 29.5% (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 64.5% (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.58 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1181 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, adult total in Lower middle income?
- Literacy rate, adult total in Lower middle income was 78.3% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, adult total recorded in Lower middle income?
- The highest recorded value was 78.3% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, adult total recorded in Lower middle income?
- The lowest recorded value was 43.7% in 1975.
- How does Lower middle income rank for literacy rate, adult total?
- Lower middle income ranks 24th out of 39 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, adult total rising or falling in Lower middle income?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Lower middle 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.