Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Nepal

Nepal: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male was 80.7% in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
80.7%
Change on year
up 3.9%
World rank
66th
of 88 countries
All-time high
80.7%
in 2019
All-time low
26.8%
in 1981
Years of data
8
1981–2019

Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Nepal, 1981–2019

204060801981200020191981: 26.8 %1991: 42.3 %2001: 57.5 %2008: 66.5 %2011: 67.6 %2016: 78.4 %2017: 77.7 %2019: 80.7 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Nepal is 80.7%, measured in 2019. That is the highest value across all 8 years on record.

The figure is up 3.9% on the previous year and up 21.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Nepal peaked at 80.7% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 26.8%, in 1981.

Nepal ranks 66th of 88 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Nepal, year by year

Annual values for Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male (%) in Nepal, 1981 to 2019.
Year % Change
1981 26.8%
1991 42.3% +57.8%
2001 57.5% +35.9%
2008 66.5% +15.7%
2011 67.6% +1.7%
2016 78.4% +16.0%
2017 77.7% -1.0%
2019 80.7% +3.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 26.8% 26.8% 26.8% 1
1990s 42.3% 42.3% 42.3% 1
2000s 62.0% 57.5% 66.5% 2
2010s 76.1% 67.6% 80.7% 4

Countries ranked near Nepal

  1. 63 Zambia 81.8% compare
  2. 64 Uganda 80.9% compare
  3. 65 Togo 80.8% compare
  4. 67 Rwanda 79.5% compare
  5. 68 Bangladesh 79.4% compare
  6. 69 Nigeria 78.9% compare

See the full ranking of 291 places →

More education data for Nepal

All data for Nepal →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Nepal?
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Nepal was 80.7% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male recorded in Nepal?
The highest recorded value was 80.7% in 2019.
What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male recorded in Nepal?
The lowest recorded value was 26.8% in 1981.
How does Nepal rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male?
Nepal ranks 66th out of 88 countries with data for 2019.
Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male rising or falling in Nepal?
Over the last ten years it is up 21.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Nepal 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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Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Nepal. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 29 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-population-25-64-years-male-percent-2/nepal/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
291 places, 9,602 data points, 1970–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release