Literacy rate vs gdp per capita in Afghanistan

Afghanistan: Literacy rate vs gdp per capita was 37.27 in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
37.27
Change on year
up 3.5%
World rank
86th
of 89 countries
All-time high
37.27
in 2021
All-time low
18.16
in 1979
Years of data
5
1979–2021

Literacy rate vs gdp per capita in Afghanistan, 1979–2021

0102030401979200020211979: 18.22011: 31.42015: 33.82020: 362021: 37.3

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for literacy rate vs gdp per capita in Afghanistan is 37.27, measured in 2021. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.

The figure is up 3.5% on the previous year and up 18.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate vs gdp per capita in Afghanistan peaked at 37.27 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 18.16, in 1979.

That places Afghanistan 86th out of 89 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Literacy rate vs gdp per capita in Afghanistan, year by year

Annual values for Literacy rate vs gdp per capita in Afghanistan, 1979 to 2021.
Year Value Change
1979 18.16 —
2011 31.45 +73.2%
2015 33.75 +7.3%
2020 36.02 +6.7%
2021 37.27 +3.5%

Afghanistan compared with similar countries

  • Afghanistan's 37.27 is below the median for low income countries, which is 60.46, 62% of the median. (13 countries reporting)
  • Afghanistan's 37.27 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 94.44, 39% of the median. (15 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 18.16 18.16 18.16 1
2010s 32.6 31.45 33.75 2
2020s 36.64 36.02 37.27 2

Countries ranked near Afghanistan

  1. 83 Sierra Leone 43.58 compare
  2. 84 Burkina Faso 41.57 compare
  3. 85 Guinea 39.62 compare
  4. 87 Mali 35.63 compare
  5. 88 Niger 35.61 compare
  6. 89 Chad 30.63 compare

See the full ranking of 89 places →

More education data for Afghanistan

All data for Afghanistan →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate vs gdp per capita in Afghanistan?
Literacy rate vs gdp per capita in Afghanistan was 37.27 in 2021, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest literacy rate vs gdp per capita recorded in Afghanistan?
The highest recorded value was 37.27 in 2021.
What is the lowest literacy rate vs gdp per capita recorded in Afghanistan?
The lowest recorded value was 18.16 in 1979.
How does Afghanistan rank for literacy rate vs gdp per capita?
Afghanistan ranks 86th out of 89 countries with data for 2021.
Is literacy rate vs gdp per capita rising or falling in Afghanistan?
Over the last ten years it is up 18.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Literacy rate vs gdp per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Literacy rate vs gdp per capita in Afghanistan. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 13 November 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-vs-gdp-per-capita/afghanistan/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate vs gdp per capita
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
89 places, 916 data points, 1975–2024
Last refreshed