Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India)
MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India): Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes was 71.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India), 1975–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) recorded 71.0% 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 0.9% on the previous year and up 21.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) peaked at 71.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 26.4%, in 1975.
That places MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) 144th out of 203 groups with data for 2024, putting it 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: Southern Asia (excluding India), year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 26.4% | — |
| 1976 | 26.6% | +0.8% |
| 1977 | 27.1% | +2.0% |
| 1978 | 27.7% | +2.0% |
| 1979 | 28.2% | +2.1% |
| 1980 | 28.8% | +2.1% |
| 1981 | 29.5% | +2.2% |
| 1982 | 30.3% | +2.8% |
| 1983 | 31.2% | +3.2% |
| 1984 | 31.9% | +2.0% |
| 1985 | 32.5% | +1.9% |
| 1986 | 33.2% | +2.1% |
| 1987 | 33.9% | +2.1% |
| 1988 | 34.9% | +3.1% |
| 1989 | 35.5% | +1.8% |
| 1990 | 37.4% | +5.1% |
| 1991 | 37.9% | +1.5% |
| 1992 | 39.4% | +3.9% |
| 1993 | 40.8% | +3.7% |
| 1994 | 41.3% | +1.1% |
| 1995 | 42.3% | +2.6% |
| 1996 | 43.0% | +1.7% |
| 1997 | 43.8% | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 46.1% | +5.2% |
| 1999 | 46.8% | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 47.6% | +1.7% |
| 2001 | 48.5% | +1.8% |
| 2002 | 49.4% | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 50.6% | +2.6% |
| 2004 | 51.7% | +2.0% |
| 2005 | 52.7% | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 51.8% | -1.7% |
| 2007 | 53.0% | +2.2% |
| 2008 | 54.9% | +3.6% |
| 2009 | 55.8% | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 59.2% | +6.1% |
| 2011 | 58.5% | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 56.4% | -3.6% |
| 2013 | 57.7% | +2.4% |
| 2014 | 58.7% | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 62.3% | +6.1% |
| 2016 | 65.5% | +5.2% |
| 2017 | 65.8% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 66.7% | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 67.1% | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 67.8% | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 68.8% | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 69.7% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 70.3% | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 71.0% | +0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 27.2% | 26.4% | 28.2% | 5 |
| 1980s | 32.2% | 28.8% | 35.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 41.9% | 37.4% | 46.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 51.6% | 47.6% | 55.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 61.8% | 56.4% | 67.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 69.5% | 67.8% | 71.0% | 5 |
More education data for MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 4.49 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 3.65 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.68 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate -0.7828 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 24.83 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 3.99 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 26.38 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 3.33 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 16.69 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 6.02 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India)?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) was 71.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India)?
- The highest recorded value was 71.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India)?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.4% in 1975.
- How does MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes?
- MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) ranks 144th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes rising or falling in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) 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