Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in SDG: Western Asia
SDG: Western Asia: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes was 90.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
90.5%
Change on year
down 0.1%
Rank
70th
of 203 groups
All-time high
90.6%
in 2017
All-time low
64.2%
in 1980
Years of data
45
1980–2024
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in SDG: Western Asia, 1980–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
SDG: Western Asia recorded 90.5% for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in 2024.
The figure is down 0.1% on the previous year and up 1.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in SDG: Western Asia peaked at 90.6% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 64.2%, in 1980.
SDG: Western Asia ranks 70th 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 SDG: Western Asia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 64.2% | — |
| 1981 | 64.9% | +1.0% |
| 1982 | 65.8% | +1.4% |
| 1983 | 66.4% | +0.9% |
| 1984 | 69.9% | +5.2% |
| 1985 | 70.5% | +0.9% |
| 1986 | 71.0% | +0.8% |
| 1987 | 71.5% | +0.7% |
| 1988 | 72.3% | +1.1% |
| 1989 | 72.6% | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 73.4% | +1.1% |
| 1991 | 74.1% | +1.0% |
| 1992 | 74.7% | +0.9% |
| 1993 | 75.3% | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 75.9% | +0.8% |
| 1995 | 76.5% | +0.8% |
| 1996 | 77.2% | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 78.0% | +1.0% |
| 1998 | 78.7% | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 79.5% | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 80.0% | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 80.8% | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 81.7% | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 82.4% | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 83.2% | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 83.9% | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 84.1% | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 84.8% | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 85.3% | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 86.4% | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 87.5% | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 88.7% | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 89.1% | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 89.3% | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 89.6% | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 90.2% | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 90.5% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 90.6% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 90.6% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 90.6% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 90.6% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 90.6% | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 90.6% | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 90.5% | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 90.5% | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 68.9% | 64.2% | 72.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 76.3% | 73.4% | 79.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 83.3% | 80.0% | 86.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 89.7% | 87.5% | 90.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 90.6% | 90.5% | 90.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near SDG: Western Asia
More education data for SDG: Western Asia
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 28.52 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate -0.9495 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 13.49 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.7535 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.72 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -0.901 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate -0.0164 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 28.49 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 13.43 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 15.03 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in SDG: Western Asia?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in SDG: Western Asia was 90.5% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in SDG: Western Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 90.6% in 2017.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in SDG: Western Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 64.2% in 1980.
- How does SDG: Western Asia rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes?
- SDG: Western Asia ranks 70th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes rising or falling in SDG: Western Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this SDG: Western Asia 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