Literacy rate of young men vs. women in Iran, Islamic Republic of
Iran, Islamic Republic of: Literacy rate of young men vs. women was 98.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate of young men vs. women in Iran, Islamic Republic of, 1976–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, literacy rate of young men vs. women in Iran, Islamic Republic of stood at 98.9%. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 0.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate of young men vs. women in Iran, Islamic Republic of peaked at 98.9% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 70.9%, in 1976.
Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 32nd of 95 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.
Literacy rate of young men vs. women in Iran, Islamic Republic of, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 70.9% | — |
| 1986 | 84.5% | +19.2% |
| 1991 | 92.4% | +9.4% |
| 1996 | 95.5% | +3.3% |
| 2005 | 98.1% | +2.7% |
| 2006 | 97.2% | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 98.3% | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 98.1% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 98.2% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 97.0% | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 98.3% | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 98.1% | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 98.2% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 98.1% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 98.3% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 98.2% | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 98.3% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 98.5% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 98.6% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 98.7% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 98.6% | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 98.9% | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 70.9% | 70.9% | 70.9% | 1 |
| 1980s | 84.5% | 84.5% | 84.5% | 1 |
| 1990s | 94.0% | 92.4% | 95.5% | 2 |
| 2000s | 97.9% | 97.2% | 98.3% | 4 |
| 2010s | 98.1% | 97.0% | 98.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 98.7% | 98.6% | 98.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iran, Islamic Republic of
More education data for Iran, Islamic Republic of
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1003 units per person (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 3.07 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 3.31 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 9.09 million (2023)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 3.31 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 9.09 million (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per capita 0.1003 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate of young men vs. women in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- Literacy rate of young men vs. women in Iran, Islamic Republic of was 98.9% in 2023, 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 Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- The highest recorded value was 98.9% in 2023.
- What is the lowest literacy rate of young men vs. women recorded in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- The lowest recorded value was 70.9% in 1976.
- How does Iran, Islamic Republic of rank for literacy rate of young men vs. women?
- Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 32nd out of 95 countries with data for 2023.
- Is literacy rate of young men vs. women rising or falling in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iran, Islamic Republic of 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.