Literacy rate, youth male in India
India: Literacy rate, youth male was 98.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, youth male in India, 1981–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of males ages 15-24.
Analysis
India recorded 98.0% for literacy rate, youth male in 2024. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and up 4.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, youth male in India peaked at 98.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 66.3%, in 1981.
That places India 46th out of 95 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Literacy rate, youth male in India, year by year
| Year | % of males ages 15-24 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 66.3% | — |
| 1991 | 73.5% | +10.9% |
| 2001 | 84.2% | +14.5% |
| 2006 | 88.4% | +5.0% |
| 2010 | 92.3% | +4.4% |
| 2011 | 90.0% | -2.4% |
| 2012 | 93.4% | +3.8% |
| 2016 | 93.5% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 96.3% | +2.9% |
| 2019 | 96.2% | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 96.5% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 97.1% | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 97.4% | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 97.9% | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 98.0% | +0.1% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 98.0% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 93.3%, 1.0× the median. (33 countries reporting)
- India's 98.0% is above the median for South Asia, which is 98.0%, 1.0× the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 66.3% | 66.3% | 66.3% | 1 |
| 1990s | 73.5% | 73.5% | 73.5% | 1 |
| 2000s | 86.3% | 84.2% | 88.4% | 2 |
| 2010s | 93.6% | 90.0% | 96.3% | 6 |
| 2020s | 97.4% | 96.5% | 98.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near India
- 43 Qatar 98.4% compare
- 44 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 98.4% compare
- 45 Tunisia 98.2% compare
- 47 Thailand 97.9% compare
- 48 El Salvador 97.9% compare
- 49 Dominican Republic 97.7% compare
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 male in India?
- Literacy rate, youth male in India was 98.0% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, youth male recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 98.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, youth male recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 66.3% in 1981.
- How does India rank for literacy rate, youth male?
- India ranks 46th out of 95 countries with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, youth male rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.9%. 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 male (% of males 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.