Literacy rate, youth female in India
India: Literacy rate, youth female was 96.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, youth female in India, 1981–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of females ages 15-24.
Analysis
India recorded 96.6% for literacy rate, youth female in 2024. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.6% on the previous year and up 12.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, youth female in India peaked at 96.6% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 40.3%, in 1981.
India ranks 59th of 105 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Literacy rate, youth female in India, year by year
| Year | % of females ages 15-24 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 40.3% | — |
| 1991 | 49.4% | +22.4% |
| 2001 | 67.8% | +37.3% |
| 2006 | 74.4% | +9.8% |
| 2010 | 83.0% | +11.7% |
| 2011 | 81.8% | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 86.1% | +5.2% |
| 2016 | 86.7% | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 92.7% | +6.9% |
| 2019 | 93.2% | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 94.7% | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 94.6% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 95.5% | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 96.1% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 96.6% | +0.6% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 96.6% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 93.8%, 1.0× the median. (36 countries reporting)
- India's 96.6% is below the median for South Asia, which is 96.9%, 100% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Literacy rate, youth female in India changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | +37.3% | 49.4% | 67.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 40.3% | 40.3% | 40.3% | 1 |
| 1990s | 49.4% | 49.4% | 49.4% | 1 |
| 2000s | 71.1% | 67.8% | 74.4% | 2 |
| 2010s | 87.3% | 81.8% | 93.2% | 6 |
| 2020s | 95.5% | 94.6% | 96.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near India
More education data for India
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7.31 million (2025)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 3.10 million (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 19.37 million (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 18.52 million (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 133.16 million (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 126.12 million (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -8.85 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0862 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, youth female in India?
- Literacy rate, youth female in India was 96.6% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, youth female recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 96.6% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, youth female recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 40.3% in 1981.
- How does India rank for literacy rate, youth female?
- India ranks 59th out of 105 countries with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, youth female rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this India data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Literacy rate, youth female (% of females ages 15-24). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Youth literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15-24 who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.