Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in SDG: Central and Southern Asia
SDG: Central and Southern Asia: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female was 68.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in SDG: Central and Southern Asia, 1975–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in SDG: Central and Southern Asia is 68.0%, 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 20.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in SDG: Central and Southern Asia peaked at 68.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 19.8%, in 1975.
That places SDG: Central and Southern Asia 128th 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 SDG: Central and Southern Asia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 19.8% | — |
| 1976 | 19.8% | +0.2% |
| 1977 | 20.4% | +3.2% |
| 1978 | 21.1% | +3.2% |
| 1979 | 21.8% | +3.4% |
| 1980 | 22.5% | +3.2% |
| 1981 | 23.3% | +3.4% |
| 1982 | 24.1% | +3.4% |
| 1983 | 24.9% | +3.5% |
| 1984 | 25.7% | +3.2% |
| 1985 | 26.5% | +3.1% |
| 1986 | 27.3% | +3.1% |
| 1987 | 28.1% | +3.0% |
| 1988 | 28.9% | +2.7% |
| 1989 | 29.6% | +2.3% |
| 1990 | 30.5% | +3.2% |
| 1991 | 31.2% | +2.2% |
| 1992 | 31.9% | +2.4% |
| 1993 | 32.7% | +2.3% |
| 1994 | 33.4% | +2.0% |
| 1995 | 34.2% | +2.6% |
| 1996 | 35.0% | +2.4% |
| 1997 | 35.9% | +2.6% |
| 1998 | 40.9% | +13.8% |
| 1999 | 41.7% | +1.9% |
| 2000 | 42.5% | +2.0% |
| 2001 | 43.4% | +2.1% |
| 2002 | 44.4% | +2.1% |
| 2003 | 45.2% | +1.8% |
| 2004 | 46.1% | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 45.2% | -2.0% |
| 2006 | 45.7% | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 46.9% | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 48.3% | +3.1% |
| 2009 | 49.3% | +2.1% |
| 2010 | 53.6% | +8.7% |
| 2011 | 54.3% | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 54.4% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 55.5% | +2.2% |
| 2014 | 56.7% | +2.1% |
| 2015 | 58.5% | +3.2% |
| 2016 | 60.3% | +3.0% |
| 2017 | 61.2% | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 62.6% | +2.2% |
| 2019 | 62.0% | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 63.2% | +2.0% |
| 2021 | 64.4% | +2.0% |
| 2022 | 65.7% | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 66.9% | +1.8% |
| 2024 | 68.0% | +1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 20.6% | 19.8% | 21.8% | 5 |
| 1980s | 26.1% | 22.5% | 29.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 34.7% | 30.5% | 41.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 45.7% | 42.5% | 49.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 57.9% | 53.6% | 62.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 65.7% | 63.2% | 68.0% | 5 |
More education data for SDG: Central and Southern Asia
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 92.92 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 58.28 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate -1.08 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 99.66 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.3161 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7.04 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 192.58 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -0.4111 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 8.99 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 2.87 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in SDG: Central and Southern Asia?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in SDG: Central and Southern Asia was 68.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in SDG: Central and Southern Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 68.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in SDG: Central and Southern Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.8% in 1975.
- How does SDG: Central and Southern Asia rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female?
- SDG: Central and Southern Asia ranks 128th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female rising or falling in SDG: Central and Southern Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this SDG: Central and 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