Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male was 43.2% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Latest (2021)
43.2%
Change on year
up 3.1%
World rank
84th
of 88 countries
All-time high
46.4%
in 2015
All-time low
24.2%
in 1979
Years of data
5
1979–2021
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Afghanistan, 1979–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Afghanistan recorded 43.2% for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.1% on the previous year and up 14.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Afghanistan peaked at 46.4% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 24.2%, in 1979.
That places Afghanistan 84th out of 88 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 24.2% | — |
| 2011 | 37.8% | +55.9% |
| 2015 | 46.4% | +22.8% |
| 2020 | 41.9% | -9.8% |
| 2021 | 43.2% | +3.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 24.2% | 24.2% | 24.2% | 1 |
| 2010s | 42.1% | 37.8% | 46.4% | 2 |
| 2020s | 42.5% | 41.9% | 43.2% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More education data for Afghanistan
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 10,383 (2003)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.43 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 7.51 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 3.56 % change on previous year (2019)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0004 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1811 units per person (2023)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7.51 million (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 3.56 % change on previous year (2019)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Afghanistan?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Afghanistan was 43.2% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 46.4% in 2015.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.2% in 1979.
- How does Afghanistan rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male?
- Afghanistan ranks 84th out of 88 countries with data for 2021.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release