Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in SDG: Least Developed Countries
SDG: Least Developed Countries: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes was 64.3% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in SDG: Least Developed Countries, 1980–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in SDG: Least Developed Countries stood at 64.3%. 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 16.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in SDG: Least Developed Countries peaked at 64.3% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 35.4%, in 1980.
SDG: Least Developed Countries ranks 175th of 203 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in SDG: Least Developed Countries, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 35.4% | — |
| 1981 | 35.9% | +1.3% |
| 1982 | 36.3% | +1.2% |
| 1983 | 36.7% | +1.0% |
| 1984 | 37.1% | +1.3% |
| 1985 | 37.6% | +1.2% |
| 1986 | 38.0% | +1.2% |
| 1987 | 38.5% | +1.4% |
| 1988 | 39.3% | +2.0% |
| 1989 | 39.8% | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 40.3% | +1.4% |
| 1991 | 40.9% | +1.4% |
| 1992 | 41.4% | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 42.0% | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 42.8% | +2.0% |
| 1995 | 43.8% | +2.2% |
| 1996 | 44.4% | +1.3% |
| 1997 | 45.1% | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 46.9% | +3.9% |
| 1999 | 47.7% | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 48.3% | +1.3% |
| 2001 | 49.0% | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 49.3% | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 50.0% | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 50.5% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 51.0% | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 48.6% | -4.6% |
| 2007 | 49.5% | +1.8% |
| 2008 | 49.7% | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 50.2% | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 52.2% | +4.1% |
| 2011 | 53.9% | +3.1% |
| 2012 | 52.7% | -2.2% |
| 2013 | 54.4% | +3.3% |
| 2014 | 55.2% | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 57.7% | +4.5% |
| 2016 | 59.9% | +3.9% |
| 2017 | 60.9% | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 61.5% | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 61.8% | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 62.2% | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 62.8% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 63.5% | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 63.9% | +0.7% |
| 2024 | 64.3% | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 37.5% | 35.4% | 39.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 43.5% | 40.3% | 47.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 49.6% | 48.3% | 51.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 57.0% | 52.2% | 61.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 63.3% | 62.2% | 64.3% | 5 |
More education data for SDG: Least Developed Countries
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 4.43 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 11.66 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.7518 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 11.32 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 36.37 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 171.01 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.684 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 1.04 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 75.92 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.9918 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in SDG: Least Developed Countries?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in SDG: Least Developed Countries was 64.3% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in SDG: Least Developed Countries?
- The highest recorded value was 64.3% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in SDG: Least Developed Countries?
- The lowest recorded value was 35.4% in 1980.
- How does SDG: Least Developed Countries rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes?
- SDG: Least Developed Countries ranks 175th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes rising or falling in SDG: Least Developed Countries?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this SDG: Least Developed Countries 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