Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in ESCWA: Arab Low-income Countries (lics) (unsdcode:98509)

ESCWA: Arab Low-income Countries (lics) (unsdcode:98509): Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female was 47.1% in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
47.1%
Change on year
up 0.8%
Rank
197th
of 203 groups
All-time high
47.1%
in 2019
All-time low
25.7%
in 1989
Years of data
31
1989–2019

Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in ESCWA: Arab Low-income Countries (lics) (unsdcode:98509), 1989–2019

010203040501989200420191989: 25.7 %1990: 26.4 %1991: 27.1 %1992: 28 %1993: 28.9 %1994: 29.7 %1995: 30.5 %1996: 32 %1997: 33.5 %1998: 35 %1999: 36.5 %2000: 37.8 %2001: 39.1 %2002: 40.5 %2003: 41.8 %2004: 43.2 %2005: 44.2 %2006: 40.2 %2007: 41.5 %2008: 42.8 %2009: 43.2 %2010: 43.9 %2011: 44.6 %2012: 45.2 %2013: 45.2 %2014: 44.5 %2015: 45.2 %2016: 46.1 %2017: 46.5 %2018: 46.8 %2019: 47.1 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in ESCWA: Arab Low-income Countries (lics) (unsdcode:98509) is 47.1%, measured in 2019. That is the highest value across all 31 years on record.

That represents a change of up 0.8% on the previous year and up 9.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in ESCWA: Arab Low-income Countries (lics) (unsdcode:98509) peaked at 47.1% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 25.7%, in 1989.

That places ESCWA: Arab Low-income Countries (lics) (unsdcode:98509) 197th out of 203 groups with data for 2019, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 31 years of available data.

Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in ESCWA: Arab Low-income Countries (lics) (unsdcode:98509), year by year

Annual values for Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%) in ESCWA: Arab Low-income Countries (lics) (unsdcode:98509), 1989 to 2019.
Year % Change
1989 25.7%
1990 26.4% +2.7%
1991 27.1% +2.7%
1992 28.0% +3.5%
1993 28.9% +3.1%
1994 29.7% +2.7%
1995 30.5% +3.0%
1996 32.0% +4.7%
1997 33.5% +4.8%
1998 35.0% +4.4%
1999 36.5% +4.3%
2000 37.8% +3.6%
2001 39.1% +3.5%
2002 40.5% +3.4%
2003 41.8% +3.4%
2004 43.2% +3.2%
2005 44.2% +2.3%
2006 40.2% -9.0%
2007 41.5% +3.1%
2008 42.8% +3.1%
2009 43.2% +1.2%
2010 43.9% +1.6%
2011 44.6% +1.5%
2012 45.2% +1.3%
2013 45.2% +0.1%
2014 44.5% -1.5%
2015 45.2% +1.6%
2016 46.1% +2.0%
2017 46.5% +0.7%
2018 46.8% +0.6%
2019 47.1% +0.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 25.7% 25.7% 25.7% 1
1990s 30.8% 26.4% 36.5% 10
2000s 41.4% 37.8% 44.2% 10
2010s 45.5% 43.9% 47.1% 10

More education data for ESCWA: Arab Low-income Countries (lics) (unsdcode:98509)

All data for ESCWA: Arab Low-income Countries (lics) (unsdcode:98509) →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in ESCWA: Arab Low-income Countries (lics) (unsdcode:98509)?
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in ESCWA: Arab Low-income Countries (lics) (unsdcode:98509) was 47.1% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in ESCWA: Arab Low-income Countries (lics) (unsdcode:98509)?
The highest recorded value was 47.1% in 2019.
What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in ESCWA: Arab Low-income Countries (lics) (unsdcode:98509)?
The lowest recorded value was 25.7% in 1989.
How does ESCWA: Arab Low-income Countries (lics) (unsdcode:98509) rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female?
ESCWA: Arab Low-income Countries (lics) (unsdcode:98509) ranks 197th out of 203 groups with data for 2019.
Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female rising or falling in ESCWA: Arab Low-income Countries (lics) (unsdcode:98509)?
Over the last ten years it is up 9.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this ESCWA: Arab Low-income Countries (lics) (unsdcode:98509) 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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Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in ESCWA: Arab Low-income Countries (lics) (unsdcode:98509). Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 06 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-population-25-64-years-female-percent-2/escwa-arab-low-income-countries-lics-unsdcode-98509/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
291 places, 9,624 data points, 1970–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release