Literacy rate of young men vs. women in India
India: Literacy rate of young men vs. women was 98.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate of young men vs. women in India, 1981–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for literacy rate of young men vs. women in India is 98.0%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.
The figure is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 4.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate of young men vs. women in India peaked at 98.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 66.3%, in 1981.
That places India 46th out of 95 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Literacy rate of young men vs. women in India, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 66.3% | — |
| 1991 | 73.5% | +10.9% |
| 2001 | 84.2% | +14.5% |
| 2006 | 88.4% | +5.0% |
| 2010 | 92.3% | +4.4% |
| 2011 | 90.0% | -2.4% |
| 2012 | 93.4% | +3.8% |
| 2016 | 93.5% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 96.3% | +2.9% |
| 2019 | 96.2% | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 96.5% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 97.1% | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 97.4% | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 97.9% | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 98.0% | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 66.3% | 66.3% | 66.3% | 1 |
| 1990s | 73.5% | 73.5% | 73.5% | 1 |
| 2000s | 86.3% | 84.2% | 88.4% | 2 |
| 2010s | 93.6% | 90.0% | 96.3% | 6 |
| 2020s | 97.4% | 96.5% | 98.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near India
- 43 Colombia 98.4% compare
- 44 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 98.4% compare
- 45 Tunisia 98.2% compare
- 47 Thailand 97.9% compare
- 48 El Salvador 97.9% compare
- 49 Dominican Republic 97.7% compare
More education data for India
- 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)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 126.12 million (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -8.85 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per capita 0.0862 units per person (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 60.33 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate of young men vs. women in India?
- Literacy rate of young men vs. women in India was 98.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest literacy rate of young men vs. women recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 98.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate of young men vs. women recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 66.3% in 1981.
- How does India rank for literacy rate of young men vs. women?
- India ranks 46th out of 95 countries with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate of young men vs. women rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this India data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Literacy rate of young men vs. women. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of men aged 15 to 24 years who can read and write.