Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes was 27.3% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Afghanistan, 1979–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Afghanistan recorded 27.3% for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.2% on the previous year and up 17.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Afghanistan peaked at 27.9% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 13.4%, in 1979.
That places Afghanistan 86th out of 87 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 13.4% | — |
| 2011 | 23.1% | +73.0% |
| 2015 | 27.9% | +20.6% |
| 2020 | 26.4% | -5.3% |
| 2021 | 27.3% | +3.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 13.4% | 13.4% | 13.4% | 1 |
| 2010s | 25.5% | 23.1% | 27.9% | 2 |
| 2020s | 26.9% | 26.4% | 27.3% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More education data for Afghanistan
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 88,020 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 343,942 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 13,837 (2003)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 10,383 (2003)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.43 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 7.51 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 3.56 % change on previous year (2019)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0004 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1811 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Afghanistan?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Afghanistan was 27.3% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 27.9% in 2015.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.4% in 1979.
- How does Afghanistan rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes?
- Afghanistan ranks 86th out of 87 countries with data for 2021.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release