Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ESCAP: Saarc (saarc) (unsdcode:98428)
ESCAP: Saarc (saarc) (unsdcode:98428): Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes was 73.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ESCAP: Saarc (saarc) (unsdcode:98428), 1975–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ESCAP: Saarc (saarc) (unsdcode:98428) stood at 73.6%. That is the highest value across all 50 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 14.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ESCAP: Saarc (saarc) (unsdcode:98428) peaked at 73.6% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 32.0%, in 1976.
ESCAP: Saarc (saarc) (unsdcode:98428) ranks 134th 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 in ESCAP: Saarc (saarc) (unsdcode:98428), year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 32.0% | — |
| 1976 | 32.0% | -0.0% |
| 1977 | 32.7% | +2.1% |
| 1978 | 33.4% | +2.2% |
| 1979 | 34.1% | +2.2% |
| 1980 | 34.9% | +2.2% |
| 1981 | 35.6% | +2.2% |
| 1982 | 36.4% | +2.2% |
| 1983 | 37.2% | +2.1% |
| 1984 | 37.9% | +2.0% |
| 1985 | 38.7% | +2.0% |
| 1986 | 39.4% | +1.9% |
| 1987 | 40.0% | +1.6% |
| 1988 | 40.5% | +1.3% |
| 1989 | 41.1% | +1.3% |
| 1990 | 41.6% | +1.3% |
| 1991 | 42.2% | +1.3% |
| 1992 | 43.0% | +1.9% |
| 1993 | 43.8% | +2.0% |
| 1994 | 44.5% | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 45.2% | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 45.9% | +1.6% |
| 1997 | 46.6% | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 51.9% | +11.3% |
| 1999 | 52.5% | +1.2% |
| 2000 | 53.2% | +1.3% |
| 2001 | 54.0% | +1.5% |
| 2002 | 54.8% | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 55.6% | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 56.5% | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 55.9% | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 56.2% | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 57.2% | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 58.0% | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 59.0% | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 61.8% | +4.9% |
| 2011 | 62.5% | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 62.5% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 63.5% | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 64.3% | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 66.0% | +2.6% |
| 2016 | 67.6% | +2.4% |
| 2017 | 68.3% | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 69.2% | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 68.3% | -1.3% |
| 2020 | 69.3% | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 70.5% | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 71.6% | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 72.6% | +1.4% |
| 2024 | 73.6% | +1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 32.8% | 32.0% | 34.1% | 5 |
| 1980s | 38.2% | 34.9% | 41.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 45.7% | 41.6% | 52.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 56.0% | 53.2% | 59.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 65.4% | 61.8% | 69.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 71.5% | 69.3% | 73.6% | 5 |
More education data for ESCAP: Saarc (saarc) (unsdcode:98428)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 97.0% (2024)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 96.3% (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female 84.88 million (2024)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in vocational 3.0% (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male 91.07 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes 53.53 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes 6.43 million (2024)
- School age population, upper secondary education, female 66.98 million (2024)
- School age population, upper secondary education, both sexes 139.28 million (2024)
- School age population, upper secondary education, male 72.30 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ESCAP: Saarc (saarc) (unsdcode:98428)?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ESCAP: Saarc (saarc) (unsdcode:98428) was 73.6% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in ESCAP: Saarc (saarc) (unsdcode:98428)?
- The highest recorded value was 73.6% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in ESCAP: Saarc (saarc) (unsdcode:98428)?
- The lowest recorded value was 32.0% in 1976.
- How does ESCAP: Saarc (saarc) (unsdcode:98428) rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes?
- ESCAP: Saarc (saarc) (unsdcode:98428) ranks 134th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes rising or falling in ESCAP: Saarc (saarc) (unsdcode:98428)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ESCAP: Saarc (saarc) (unsdcode:98428) 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