Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)
ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500): Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes was 77.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500), 1980–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) is 77.4%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 4.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) peaked at 77.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 45.1%, in 1980.
ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) ranks 115th of 203 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500), year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 45.1% | — |
| 1981 | 45.6% | +1.1% |
| 1982 | 46.5% | +1.9% |
| 1983 | 46.0% | -0.9% |
| 1984 | 46.5% | +1.0% |
| 1985 | 47.0% | +1.0% |
| 1986 | 47.5% | +1.0% |
| 1987 | 48.0% | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 48.9% | +1.7% |
| 1989 | 49.7% | +1.7% |
| 1990 | 50.6% | +1.8% |
| 1991 | 51.3% | +1.4% |
| 1992 | 52.2% | +1.8% |
| 1993 | 53.5% | +2.5% |
| 1994 | 54.4% | +1.6% |
| 1995 | 55.3% | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 56.4% | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 57.5% | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 58.6% | +1.9% |
| 1999 | 59.8% | +1.9% |
| 2000 | 60.8% | +1.7% |
| 2001 | 62.0% | +2.0% |
| 2002 | 63.2% | +1.9% |
| 2003 | 66.8% | +5.8% |
| 2004 | 67.8% | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 68.6% | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 65.6% | -4.4% |
| 2007 | 66.4% | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 67.4% | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 69.0% | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 69.7% | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 72.3% | +3.7% |
| 2012 | 73.4% | +1.6% |
| 2013 | 74.5% | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 74.3% | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 75.5% | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 74.1% | -1.9% |
| 2017 | 74.7% | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 75.0% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 75.2% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 75.7% | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 76.0% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 76.5% | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 76.9% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 77.4% | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 47.1% | 45.1% | 49.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 55.0% | 50.6% | 59.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 65.8% | 60.8% | 69.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 73.9% | 69.7% | 75.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 76.5% | 75.7% | 77.4% | 5 |
More education data for ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 12.84 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.304 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 16.59 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.01 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 17.81 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.3069 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 5.68 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual -0.6186 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 6.43 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 7.88 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) was 77.4% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)?
- The highest recorded value was 77.4% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)?
- The lowest recorded value was 45.1% in 1980.
- How does ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes?
- ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) ranks 115th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes rising or falling in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) 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