Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in WB: Pre-demographic Dividend
WB: Pre-demographic Dividend: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes was 64.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in WB: Pre-demographic Dividend, 1986–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in WB: Pre-demographic Dividend stood at 64.0%. That is the highest value across all 39 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 11.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in WB: Pre-demographic Dividend peaked at 64.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 42.4%, in 1986.
That places WB: Pre-demographic Dividend 177th out of 203 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 39 years of available data.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in WB: Pre-demographic Dividend, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 42.4% | — |
| 1987 | 43.1% | +1.8% |
| 1988 | 43.9% | +1.8% |
| 1989 | 44.7% | +1.8% |
| 1990 | 45.4% | +1.6% |
| 1991 | 46.2% | +1.7% |
| 1992 | 46.9% | +1.6% |
| 1993 | 47.5% | +1.4% |
| 1994 | 48.2% | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 48.8% | +1.2% |
| 1996 | 49.6% | +1.6% |
| 1997 | 50.7% | +2.1% |
| 1998 | 51.7% | +2.1% |
| 1999 | 52.7% | +1.9% |
| 2000 | 51.6% | -2.1% |
| 2001 | 52.6% | +2.1% |
| 2002 | 53.7% | +2.0% |
| 2003 | 54.4% | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 55.1% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 54.7% | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 53.2% | -2.6% |
| 2007 | 51.8% | -2.7% |
| 2008 | 52.0% | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 52.1% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 52.8% | +1.2% |
| 2011 | 54.6% | +3.5% |
| 2012 | 55.9% | +2.4% |
| 2013 | 56.8% | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 57.3% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 57.9% | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 58.5% | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 59.6% | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 62.0% | +4.1% |
| 2019 | 62.2% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 62.4% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 62.8% | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 63.2% | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 63.6% | +0.7% |
| 2024 | 64.0% | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 43.5% | 42.4% | 44.7% | 4 |
| 1990s | 48.8% | 45.4% | 52.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 53.1% | 51.6% | 55.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 57.8% | 52.8% | 62.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 63.2% | 62.4% | 64.0% | 5 |
More education data for WB: Pre-demographic Dividend
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.24 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 32.69 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.61 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 37.39 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 4.13 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 5.04 million (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 5.35 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 3.46 million (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 8.50 million (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 4.62 % change on previous year (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in WB: Pre-demographic Dividend?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in WB: Pre-demographic Dividend was 64.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in WB: Pre-demographic Dividend?
- The highest recorded value was 64.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in WB: Pre-demographic Dividend?
- The lowest recorded value was 42.4% in 1986.
- How does WB: Pre-demographic Dividend rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes?
- WB: Pre-demographic Dividend ranks 177th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes rising or falling in WB: Pre-demographic Dividend?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this WB: Pre-demographic Dividend 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