Literacy rate, youth male in Nepal

Nepal: Literacy rate, youth male was 96.8% in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
96.8%
Change on year
up 1.4%
World rank
51st
of 95 countries
All-time high
96.8%
in 2019
All-time low
45.1%
in 1981
Years of data
9
1981–2019

Literacy rate, youth male in Nepal, 1981–2019

0204060801001981200020191981: 45.1 % of males ages 15-241991: 68.2 % of males ages 15-242001: 80.6 % of males ages 15-242006: 94.2 % of males ages 15-242008: 91 % of males ages 15-242011: 89.9 % of males ages 15-242016: 94.4 % of males ages 15-242017: 95.5 % of males ages 15-242019: 96.8 % of males ages 15-24

Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of males ages 15-24.

Analysis

In 2019, literacy rate, youth male in Nepal stood at 96.8%. That is the highest value across all 9 years on record.

The figure is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 6.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, youth male in Nepal peaked at 96.8% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 45.1%, in 1981.

Nepal ranks 51st of 95 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Literacy rate, youth male in Nepal, year by year

Annual values for Literacy rate, youth male (% of males ages 15-24) in Nepal, 1981 to 2019.
Year % of males ages 15-24 Change
1981 45.1%
1991 68.2% +51.3%
2001 80.6% +18.2%
2006 94.2% +16.9%
2008 91.0% -3.5%
2011 89.9% -1.2%
2016 94.4% +5.1%
2017 95.5% +1.1%
2019 96.8% +1.4%

Nepal compared with similar countries

  • Nepal's 96.8% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 93.3%, 1.0× the median. (33 countries reporting)
  • Nepal's 96.8% is below the median for South Asia, which is 98.0%, 99% of the median. (5 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 45.1% 45.1% 45.1% 1
1990s 68.2% 68.2% 68.2% 1
2000s 88.6% 80.6% 94.2% 3
2010s 94.1% 89.9% 96.8% 4

Countries ranked near Nepal

  1. 48 El Salvador 97.9% compare
  2. 49 Dominican Republic 97.7% compare
  3. 50 Suriname 97.4% compare
  4. 52 South Africa 96.3% compare
  5. 53 Myanmar 96.3% compare
  6. 54 Montenegro 96.2% compare

See the full ranking of 135 places →

More education data for Nepal

All data for Nepal →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate, youth male in Nepal?
Literacy rate, youth male in Nepal was 96.8% in 2019, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest literacy rate, youth male recorded in Nepal?
The highest recorded value was 96.8% in 2019.
What is the lowest literacy rate, youth male recorded in Nepal?
The lowest recorded value was 45.1% in 1981.
How does Nepal rank for literacy rate, youth male?
Nepal ranks 51st out of 95 countries with data for 2019.
Is literacy rate, youth male rising or falling in Nepal?
Over the last ten years it is up 6.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Nepal 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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Literacy rate, youth male in Nepal. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-youth-male-percent-of-males-ages-15-24/nepal/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, youth male (% of males ages 15-24)
Unit
% of males ages 15-24
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
135 places, 2,765 data points, 1974–2024
Last refreshed

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.