Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, female in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, female was 29.2% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, female in Afghanistan, 1979–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2022, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, female in Afghanistan stood at 29.2%. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.
The figure is up 18.4% on the previous year and up 20.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, female in Afghanistan peaked at 29.2% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 12.0%, in 1979.
That places Afghanistan 59th out of 59 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, female in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 12.0% | — |
| 2011 | 24.2% | +101.1% |
| 2015 | 23.8% | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 24.6% | +3.8% |
| 2022 | 29.2% | +18.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 12.0% | 12.0% | 12.0% | 1 |
| 2010s | 24.0% | 23.8% | 24.2% | 2 |
| 2020s | 26.9% | 24.6% | 29.2% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More education data for Afghanistan
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 88,020 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 343,942 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 13,837 (2003)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, female in Afghanistan?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, female in Afghanistan was 29.2% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, female recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 29.2% in 2022.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, female recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.0% in 1979.
- How does Afghanistan rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, female?
- Afghanistan ranks 59th out of 59 countries with data for 2022.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, female rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.7%. 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, urban, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release