Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa
UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes was 83.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa, 1976–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa stood at 83.1%. That is the highest value across all 49 years on record.
That represents a change of 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 peaked at 83.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 41.5%, in 1976.
UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa ranks 92nd of 203 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 49 years of available data.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 41.5% | — |
| 1977 | 41.8% | +0.7% |
| 1978 | 42.3% | +1.0% |
| 1979 | 42.7% | +1.1% |
| 1980 | 43.3% | +1.3% |
| 1981 | 43.8% | +1.2% |
| 1982 | 44.6% | +1.9% |
| 1983 | 45.0% | +0.8% |
| 1984 | 45.7% | +1.6% |
| 1985 | 46.4% | +1.6% |
| 1986 | 47.2% | +1.6% |
| 1987 | 48.0% | +1.7% |
| 1988 | 49.0% | +2.2% |
| 1989 | 50.1% | +2.1% |
| 1990 | 52.6% | +5.1% |
| 1991 | 53.6% | +1.9% |
| 1992 | 54.7% | +2.1% |
| 1993 | 56.1% | +2.5% |
| 1994 | 57.1% | +1.7% |
| 1995 | 58.6% | +2.7% |
| 1996 | 59.8% | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 61.0% | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 62.3% | +2.2% |
| 1999 | 63.5% | +1.9% |
| 2000 | 64.7% | +1.8% |
| 2001 | 66.0% | +2.0% |
| 2002 | 67.2% | +1.9% |
| 2003 | 70.4% | +4.7% |
| 2004 | 71.5% | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 72.5% | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 71.3% | -1.7% |
| 2007 | 72.2% | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 74.5% | +3.1% |
| 2009 | 75.9% | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 76.6% | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 77.4% | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 78.6% | +1.5% |
| 2013 | 79.5% | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 79.5% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 80.5% | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 79.6% | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 80.2% | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 80.7% | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 81.0% | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 81.5% | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 81.8% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 82.3% | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 82.7% | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 83.1% | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 42.1% | 41.5% | 42.7% | 4 |
| 1980s | 46.3% | 43.3% | 50.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 57.9% | 52.6% | 63.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 70.6% | 64.7% | 75.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 79.4% | 76.6% | 81.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 82.3% | 81.5% | 83.1% | 5 |
More education data for UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 6.15 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 21.65 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 2.17 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 23.21 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.71 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 6.49 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual -0.5257 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 17.53 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 8.61 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 6.11 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa was 83.1% 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?
- The highest recorded value was 83.1% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 41.5% in 1976.
- How does UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes?
- UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa ranks 92nd 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?
- 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 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