Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420)
ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420): Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female was 68.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420), 1975–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420) is 68.1%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 50 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.7% on the previous year and up 19.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420) peaked at 68.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 17.8%, in 1975.
ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420) ranks 127th of 203 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 50 years of available data.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420), year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 17.8% | — |
| 1976 | 17.9% | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 18.6% | +3.8% |
| 1978 | 19.3% | +3.8% |
| 1979 | 19.9% | +3.2% |
| 1980 | 20.7% | +4.0% |
| 1981 | 21.5% | +3.8% |
| 1982 | 22.3% | +3.8% |
| 1983 | 23.2% | +4.0% |
| 1984 | 24.5% | +5.9% |
| 1985 | 25.4% | +3.4% |
| 1986 | 26.2% | +3.4% |
| 1987 | 27.1% | +3.2% |
| 1988 | 27.9% | +3.0% |
| 1989 | 28.5% | +2.2% |
| 1990 | 29.5% | +3.5% |
| 1991 | 30.2% | +2.4% |
| 1992 | 31.0% | +2.7% |
| 1993 | 31.8% | +2.6% |
| 1994 | 32.5% | +2.2% |
| 1995 | 33.4% | +2.9% |
| 1996 | 34.3% | +2.6% |
| 1997 | 35.2% | +2.8% |
| 1998 | 40.2% | +14.1% |
| 1999 | 41.1% | +2.1% |
| 2000 | 41.9% | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 42.8% | +2.3% |
| 2002 | 43.8% | +2.3% |
| 2003 | 44.7% | +2.0% |
| 2004 | 45.7% | +2.3% |
| 2005 | 44.9% | -1.8% |
| 2006 | 45.4% | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 46.5% | +2.6% |
| 2008 | 48.0% | +3.1% |
| 2009 | 49.2% | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 53.6% | +8.9% |
| 2011 | 54.3% | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 54.5% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 55.6% | +2.2% |
| 2014 | 56.8% | +2.1% |
| 2015 | 58.6% | +3.2% |
| 2016 | 60.3% | +3.0% |
| 2017 | 61.3% | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 62.6% | +2.2% |
| 2019 | 62.1% | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 63.3% | +2.0% |
| 2021 | 64.5% | +1.9% |
| 2022 | 65.8% | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 66.9% | +1.8% |
| 2024 | 68.1% | +1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 18.7% | 17.8% | 19.9% | 5 |
| 1980s | 24.7% | 20.7% | 28.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 33.9% | 29.5% | 41.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 45.3% | 41.9% | 49.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 58.0% | 53.6% | 62.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 65.7% | 63.3% | 68.1% | 5 |
More education data for ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -0.5261 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 100.71 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.1925 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 93.84 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 2.69 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7.01 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 108.65 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 3.99 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 4.46 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate -1.19 % change on previous year (2024)
All data for ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420)?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420) was 68.1% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420)?
- The highest recorded value was 68.1% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420)?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.8% in 1975.
- How does ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420) rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female?
- ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420) ranks 127th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female rising or falling in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420) data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release