Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in MDG: Developing Regions
MDG: Developing Regions: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes was 85.3% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in MDG: Developing Regions, 1975–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
MDG: Developing Regions recorded 85.3% for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in 2024. That is the highest value across all 50 years on record.
The figure is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 3.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in MDG: Developing Regions peaked at 85.3% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 51.2%, in 1975.
MDG: Developing Regions ranks 90th 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 MDG: Developing Regions, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 51.2% | — |
| 1976 | 51.4% | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 51.9% | +0.9% |
| 1978 | 52.7% | +1.7% |
| 1979 | 53.6% | +1.6% |
| 1980 | 54.5% | +1.6% |
| 1981 | 55.3% | +1.6% |
| 1982 | 56.2% | +1.6% |
| 1983 | 57.1% | +1.6% |
| 1984 | 58.1% | +1.8% |
| 1985 | 59.0% | +1.4% |
| 1986 | 59.7% | +1.3% |
| 1987 | 60.5% | +1.3% |
| 1988 | 62.9% | +4.0% |
| 1989 | 63.9% | +1.5% |
| 1990 | 64.8% | +1.5% |
| 1991 | 65.7% | +1.4% |
| 1992 | 66.7% | +1.4% |
| 1993 | 67.6% | +1.4% |
| 1994 | 68.5% | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 69.4% | +1.3% |
| 1996 | 70.2% | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 73.1% | +4.1% |
| 1998 | 75.0% | +2.7% |
| 1999 | 75.7% | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 76.2% | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 76.8% | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 77.2% | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 77.9% | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 78.4% | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 78.4% | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 78.3% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 78.9% | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 79.4% | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 79.8% | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 80.7% | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 81.2% | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 81.4% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 81.8% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 82.2% | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 82.9% | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 83.4% | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 83.6% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 84.0% | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 83.8% | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 84.2% | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 84.4% | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 84.8% | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 85.0% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 85.3% | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 52.1% | 51.2% | 53.6% | 5 |
| 1980s | 58.7% | 54.5% | 63.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 69.7% | 64.8% | 75.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 78.2% | 76.2% | 79.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 82.5% | 80.7% | 84.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 84.7% | 84.2% | 85.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near MDG: Developing Regions
More education data for MDG: Developing Regions
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 90.6% (2024)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 89.6% (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female 266.40 million (2024)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in vocational 9.4% (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male 286.02 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes 171.20 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes 28.60 million (2024)
- School age population, upper secondary education, female 178.28 million (2024)
- School age population, upper secondary education, both sexes 368.76 million (2024)
- School age population, upper secondary education, male 190.49 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in MDG: Developing Regions?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in MDG: Developing Regions was 85.3% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in MDG: Developing Regions?
- The highest recorded value was 85.3% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in MDG: Developing Regions?
- The lowest recorded value was 51.2% in 1975.
- How does MDG: Developing Regions rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes?
- MDG: Developing Regions ranks 90th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes rising or falling in MDG: Developing Regions?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this MDG: Developing Regions 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 — 50 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release