Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in MDG: Southern Asia
MDG: Southern Asia: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female was 66.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in MDG: Southern Asia, 1975–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in MDG: Southern Asia stood at 66.7%. That is the highest value across all 50 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.9% on the previous year and up 21.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in MDG: Southern Asia peaked at 66.7% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 16.6%, in 1975.
That places MDG: Southern Asia 129th 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 50 years of available data.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in MDG: Southern Asia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 16.6% | — |
| 1976 | 16.7% | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 17.3% | +3.8% |
| 1978 | 18.0% | +3.9% |
| 1979 | 18.7% | +4.0% |
| 1980 | 19.4% | +4.0% |
| 1981 | 20.2% | +3.9% |
| 1982 | 21.0% | +3.9% |
| 1983 | 21.9% | +4.0% |
| 1984 | 22.6% | +3.6% |
| 1985 | 23.4% | +3.5% |
| 1986 | 24.3% | +3.6% |
| 1987 | 25.1% | +3.4% |
| 1988 | 25.9% | +3.1% |
| 1989 | 26.5% | +2.6% |
| 1990 | 27.5% | +3.7% |
| 1991 | 28.2% | +2.5% |
| 1992 | 29.0% | +2.8% |
| 1993 | 29.8% | +2.7% |
| 1994 | 30.5% | +2.4% |
| 1995 | 31.4% | +3.1% |
| 1996 | 32.3% | +2.7% |
| 1997 | 33.2% | +2.9% |
| 1998 | 38.4% | +15.6% |
| 1999 | 39.2% | +2.2% |
| 2000 | 40.1% | +2.2% |
| 2001 | 41.1% | +2.4% |
| 2002 | 42.0% | +2.4% |
| 2003 | 42.9% | +2.0% |
| 2004 | 43.9% | +2.4% |
| 2005 | 43.0% | -2.1% |
| 2006 | 43.5% | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 44.7% | +2.7% |
| 2008 | 46.2% | +3.4% |
| 2009 | 47.3% | +2.3% |
| 2010 | 51.7% | +9.4% |
| 2011 | 52.4% | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 52.5% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 53.7% | +2.3% |
| 2014 | 54.9% | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 56.8% | +3.4% |
| 2016 | 58.6% | +3.3% |
| 2017 | 59.6% | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 61.0% | +2.4% |
| 2019 | 60.4% | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 61.6% | +2.1% |
| 2021 | 62.9% | +2.1% |
| 2022 | 64.2% | +2.0% |
| 2023 | 65.5% | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 66.7% | +1.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 17.5% | 16.6% | 18.7% | 5 |
| 1980s | 23.0% | 19.4% | 26.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 32.0% | 27.5% | 39.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 43.5% | 40.1% | 47.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 56.2% | 51.7% | 61.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 64.2% | 61.6% | 66.7% | 5 |
More education data for MDG: Southern Asia
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 7.57 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -0.56 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 6.70 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 88.16 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.205 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 94.56 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate -1.26 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 54.48 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 28.18 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in MDG: Southern Asia?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in MDG: Southern Asia was 66.7% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in MDG: Southern Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 66.7% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in MDG: Southern Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.6% in 1975.
- How does MDG: Southern Asia rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female?
- MDG: Southern Asia ranks 129th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female rising or falling in MDG: Southern Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this MDG: Southern Asia 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