Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in WB: South Asia
WB: South Asia: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female was 68.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in WB: South Asia, 1975–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in WB: South Asia stood at 68.7%. That is the highest value across all 50 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.0% on the previous year and up 22.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in WB: South Asia peaked at 68.7% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 17.2%, in 1975.
That places WB: South Asia 122nd 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 WB: South Asia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 17.2% | — |
| 1976 | 17.2% | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 17.9% | +3.9% |
| 1978 | 18.6% | +4.0% |
| 1979 | 19.3% | +4.0% |
| 1980 | 20.1% | +4.0% |
| 1981 | 20.9% | +3.9% |
| 1982 | 21.7% | +3.8% |
| 1983 | 22.5% | +3.7% |
| 1984 | 23.3% | +3.6% |
| 1985 | 24.1% | +3.5% |
| 1986 | 25.0% | +3.5% |
| 1987 | 25.8% | +3.3% |
| 1988 | 26.6% | +3.0% |
| 1989 | 27.2% | +2.4% |
| 1990 | 27.9% | +2.5% |
| 1991 | 28.6% | +2.4% |
| 1992 | 29.3% | +2.5% |
| 1993 | 30.0% | +2.5% |
| 1994 | 30.8% | +2.5% |
| 1995 | 31.6% | +2.6% |
| 1996 | 32.5% | +2.8% |
| 1997 | 33.4% | +3.0% |
| 1998 | 39.3% | +17.7% |
| 1999 | 40.2% | +2.2% |
| 2000 | 41.0% | +2.2% |
| 2001 | 42.0% | +2.2% |
| 2002 | 42.9% | +2.2% |
| 2003 | 43.9% | +2.3% |
| 2004 | 44.9% | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 43.5% | -3.0% |
| 2006 | 44.0% | +1.1% |
| 2007 | 45.1% | +2.6% |
| 2008 | 46.3% | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 47.5% | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 52.6% | +10.8% |
| 2011 | 53.7% | +2.1% |
| 2012 | 53.6% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 55.1% | +2.8% |
| 2014 | 56.2% | +2.1% |
| 2015 | 58.3% | +3.6% |
| 2016 | 60.3% | +3.4% |
| 2017 | 61.4% | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 62.7% | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 61.9% | -1.4% |
| 2020 | 63.2% | +2.2% |
| 2021 | 64.7% | +2.2% |
| 2022 | 66.1% | +2.2% |
| 2023 | 67.4% | +2.0% |
| 2024 | 68.7% | +2.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 18.0% | 17.2% | 19.3% | 5 |
| 1980s | 23.7% | 20.1% | 27.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 32.3% | 27.9% | 40.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 44.1% | 41.0% | 47.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 57.6% | 52.6% | 62.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 66.0% | 63.2% | 68.7% | 5 |
More education data for WB: South Asia
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 4.46 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate -1.3 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 74.44 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 3.24 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 5.84 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -2.02 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 152.88 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 77.39 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 160.82 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 4.5 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in WB: South Asia?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in WB: South Asia was 68.7% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in WB: South Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 68.7% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in WB: South Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.2% in 1975.
- How does WB: South Asia rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female?
- WB: South Asia ranks 122nd out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female rising or falling in WB: South Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 22.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this WB: South 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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CSV · JSON — 50 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release