Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Iran, Islamic Republic of
Iran, Islamic Republic of: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes was 91.7% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Iran, Islamic Republic of, 1976–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Iran, Islamic Republic of is 91.7%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 6.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Iran, Islamic Republic of peaked at 91.7% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 27.7%, in 1976.
That places Iran, Islamic Republic of 47th out of 87 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Iran, Islamic Republic of, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 27.7% | — |
| 1986 | 42.4% | +52.7% |
| 1991 | 57.2% | +35.0% |
| 1996 | 67.9% | +18.7% |
| 2005 | 80.0% | +17.8% |
| 2006 | 80.6% | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 81.6% | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 82.3% | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 83.0% | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 84.5% | +1.8% |
| 2012 | 84.1% | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 85.8% | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 86.1% | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 87.0% | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 87.4% | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 88.2% | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 89.4% | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 90.0% | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 90.5% | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 91.1% | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 91.3% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 91.7% | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 27.7% | 27.7% | 27.7% | 1 |
| 1980s | 42.4% | 42.4% | 42.4% | 1 |
| 1990s | 62.5% | 57.2% | 67.9% | 2 |
| 2000s | 81.1% | 80.0% | 82.3% | 4 |
| 2010s | 86.6% | 83.0% | 90.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 91.2% | 90.5% | 91.7% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iran, Islamic Republic of
- 44 Myanmar 94.2% compare
- 45 Thailand 93.1% compare
- 46 South Africa 92.6% compare
- 48 El Salvador 91.2% compare
- 49 Cape Verde 91.2% compare
- 50 Lesotho 90.7% compare
More education data for Iran, Islamic Republic of
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 406,399 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 108,066 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 519,698 (2020)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 505,053 (2020)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.62 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 9.09 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 3.31 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1003 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Iran, Islamic Republic of was 91.7% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- The highest recorded value was 91.7% in 2023.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.7% in 1976.
- How does Iran, Islamic Republic of rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes?
- Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 47th out of 87 countries with data for 2023.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes rising or falling in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.9%. 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, 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