Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries
UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes was 81.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries, 1977–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries recorded 81.0% for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in 2024. That is the highest value across all 48 years on record.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 4.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries peaked at 81.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 40.5%, in 1977.
That places UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries 99th 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 48 years of available data.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 40.5% | — |
| 1978 | 40.9% | +1.1% |
| 1979 | 41.4% | +1.2% |
| 1980 | 42.0% | +1.4% |
| 1981 | 42.6% | +1.4% |
| 1982 | 43.4% | +2.0% |
| 1983 | 43.8% | +0.9% |
| 1984 | 44.5% | +1.6% |
| 1985 | 45.2% | +1.6% |
| 1986 | 46.0% | +1.6% |
| 1987 | 46.8% | +1.7% |
| 1988 | 47.8% | +2.2% |
| 1989 | 48.8% | +2.1% |
| 1990 | 51.3% | +5.1% |
| 1991 | 52.3% | +1.9% |
| 1992 | 53.4% | +2.1% |
| 1993 | 54.7% | +2.5% |
| 1994 | 55.7% | +1.7% |
| 1995 | 57.2% | +2.7% |
| 1996 | 58.4% | +2.1% |
| 1997 | 59.6% | +2.1% |
| 1998 | 61.0% | +2.3% |
| 1999 | 62.2% | +2.0% |
| 2000 | 63.4% | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 64.7% | +2.1% |
| 2002 | 66.0% | +2.0% |
| 2003 | 69.1% | +4.7% |
| 2004 | 70.3% | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 71.3% | +1.4% |
| 2006 | 69.2% | -2.9% |
| 2007 | 70.2% | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 72.4% | +3.1% |
| 2009 | 73.8% | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 74.6% | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 75.4% | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 76.5% | +1.5% |
| 2013 | 77.5% | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 77.6% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 78.6% | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 77.8% | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 78.4% | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 78.8% | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 79.1% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 79.5% | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 79.8% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 80.2% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 80.6% | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 81.0% | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 40.9% | 40.5% | 41.4% | 3 |
| 1980s | 45.1% | 42.0% | 48.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 56.6% | 51.3% | 62.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 69.0% | 63.4% | 73.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 77.4% | 74.6% | 79.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 80.2% | 79.5% | 81.0% | 5 |
More education data for UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 17.93 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 2.81 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 22.79 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 2.18 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 24.28 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.77 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7.22 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual -0.3301 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 8.84 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 5.99 % change on previous year (2024)
All data for UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries →
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries was 81.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries?
- The highest recorded value was 81.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries?
- The lowest recorded value was 40.5% in 1977.
- How does UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes?
- UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries ranks 99th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes rising or falling in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme 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