Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes (%) (rate both) in ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411)
ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411): Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes (%) (rate both) was 75.3% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411), 1975–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411) stood at 75.3%. That is the highest value across all 50 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 28.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411) peaked at 75.3% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 35.6%, in 1976.
ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411) ranks 128th of 203 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 50 years of available data.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes (%) (rate both) in ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411), year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 35.7% | — |
| 1976 | 35.6% | -0.2% |
| 1977 | 35.8% | +0.6% |
| 1978 | 36.0% | +0.6% |
| 1979 | 36.4% | +1.1% |
| 1980 | 37.0% | +1.6% |
| 1981 | 37.6% | +1.6% |
| 1982 | 38.3% | +1.9% |
| 1983 | 38.8% | +1.3% |
| 1984 | 39.3% | +1.3% |
| 1985 | 39.8% | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 40.3% | +1.3% |
| 1987 | 40.8% | +1.3% |
| 1988 | 42.0% | +2.8% |
| 1989 | 42.4% | +0.9% |
| 1990 | 42.8% | +0.9% |
| 1991 | 43.2% | +1.1% |
| 1992 | 43.6% | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 44.0% | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 45.2% | +2.6% |
| 1995 | 46.4% | +2.7% |
| 1996 | 46.9% | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 47.5% | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 50.6% | +6.4% |
| 1999 | 51.1% | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 51.6% | +1.0% |
| 2001 | 52.2% | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 52.8% | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 53.4% | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 54.0% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 54.7% | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 52.7% | -3.8% |
| 2007 | 53.4% | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 54.1% | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 54.4% | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 58.9% | +8.3% |
| 2011 | 59.7% | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 54.6% | -8.6% |
| 2013 | 57.5% | +5.4% |
| 2014 | 58.6% | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 64.3% | +9.7% |
| 2016 | 69.3% | +7.8% |
| 2017 | 69.8% | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 70.4% | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 71.2% | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 71.9% | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 73.0% | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 74.1% | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 74.7% | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 75.3% | +0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 35.9% | 35.6% | 36.4% | 5 |
| 1980s | 39.6% | 37.0% | 42.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 46.1% | 42.8% | 51.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 53.3% | 51.6% | 54.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 63.4% | 54.6% | 71.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 73.8% | 71.9% | 75.3% | 5 |
More education data for ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 0.489 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 14.10 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate -1.29 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 14.13 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate -0.4733 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 5.95 million (2021)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 0.8789 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 6.40 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) -0.1417 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 1.19 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411)?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411) was 75.3% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411)?
- The highest recorded value was 75.3% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411)?
- The lowest recorded value was 35.6% in 1976.
- How does ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411) rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes?
- ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411) ranks 128th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes rising or falling in ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 28.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411) 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.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release