Literacy rate, youth female in South Asia
South Asia: Literacy rate, youth female was 96.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, youth female in South Asia, 1975–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of females ages 15-24.
Analysis
In 2024, literacy rate, youth female in South Asia stood at 96.5%. That is the highest value across all 50 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 11.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, youth female in South Asia peaked at 96.5% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 34.4%, in 1976.
That places South Asia 17th out of 40 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 50 years of available data.
Literacy rate, youth female in South Asia, year by year
| Year | % of females ages 15-24 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 34.4% | — |
| 1976 | 34.4% | -0.0% |
| 1977 | 35.5% | +3.3% |
| 1978 | 36.7% | +3.2% |
| 1979 | 37.8% | +3.1% |
| 1980 | 38.8% | +2.7% |
| 1981 | 39.8% | +2.4% |
| 1982 | 40.9% | +2.8% |
| 1983 | 42.0% | +2.7% |
| 1984 | 43.1% | +2.7% |
| 1985 | 44.2% | +2.6% |
| 1986 | 45.3% | +2.5% |
| 1987 | 46.4% | +2.4% |
| 1988 | 43.8% | -5.6% |
| 1989 | 45.6% | +4.0% |
| 1990 | 47.3% | +3.8% |
| 1991 | 49.0% | +3.5% |
| 1992 | 50.6% | +3.4% |
| 1993 | 52.4% | +3.4% |
| 1994 | 54.1% | +3.3% |
| 1995 | 55.8% | +3.1% |
| 1996 | 57.4% | +2.9% |
| 1997 | 58.8% | +2.5% |
| 1998 | 61.8% | +5.1% |
| 1999 | 63.8% | +3.2% |
| 2000 | 65.6% | +2.9% |
| 2001 | 67.3% | +2.6% |
| 2002 | 69.1% | +2.6% |
| 2003 | 70.8% | +2.5% |
| 2004 | 72.5% | +2.4% |
| 2005 | 72.5% | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 73.6% | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 75.4% | +2.4% |
| 2008 | 77.0% | +2.2% |
| 2009 | 78.6% | +2.1% |
| 2010 | 80.4% | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 81.8% | +1.8% |
| 2012 | 82.7% | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 85.1% | +2.9% |
| 2014 | 86.2% | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 87.7% | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 89.2% | +1.7% |
| 2017 | 90.1% | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 90.9% | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 93.8% | +3.2% |
| 2020 | 94.4% | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 95.0% | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 95.4% | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 95.9% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 96.5% | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 35.8% | 34.4% | 37.8% | 5 |
| 1980s | 43.0% | 38.8% | 46.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 55.1% | 47.3% | 63.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 72.3% | 65.6% | 78.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 86.8% | 80.4% | 93.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 95.4% | 94.4% | 96.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Asia
More education data for South Asia
- Population ages 0-14 24.6% (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 4.5 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0959 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 152.88 million (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 68.1% (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 160.82 million (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 5.84 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, youth female in South Asia?
- Literacy rate, youth female in South Asia was 96.5% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, youth female recorded in South Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 96.5% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, youth female recorded in South Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.4% in 1976.
- How does South Asia rank for literacy rate, youth female?
- South Asia ranks 17th out of 40 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, youth female rising or falling in South Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Asia 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.