Literacy rate, youth total in Nepal

Nepal: Literacy rate, youth total was 94.2% in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
94.2%
Change on year
up 1.4%
World rank
61st
of 95 countries
All-time high
94.2%
in 2019
All-time low
30.0%
in 1981
Years of data
9
1981–2019

Literacy rate, youth total in Nepal, 1981–2019

4060801001981200020191981: 30 % of people ages 15-241991: 49.6 % of people ages 15-242001: 70 % of people ages 15-242006: 82.1 % of people ages 15-242008: 82.3 % of people ages 15-242011: 84.8 % of people ages 15-242016: 89.1 % of people ages 15-242017: 92.9 % of people ages 15-242019: 94.2 % of people ages 15-24

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

Analysis

In 2019, literacy rate, youth total in Nepal stood at 94.2%. That is the highest value across all 9 years on record.

The figure is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 14.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, youth total in Nepal peaked at 94.2% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 30.0%, in 1981.

That places Nepal 61st out of 95 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the middle of the range.

Literacy rate, youth total in Nepal, year by year

Annual values for Literacy rate, youth total (% of people ages 15-24) in Nepal, 1981 to 2019.
Year % of people ages 15-24 Change
1981 30.0%
1991 49.6% +65.1%
2001 70.0% +41.2%
2006 82.1% +17.2%
2008 82.3% +0.2%
2011 84.8% +3.0%
2016 89.1% +5.1%
2017 92.9% +4.3%
2019 94.2% +1.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 30.0% 30.0% 30.0% 1
1990s 49.6% 49.6% 49.6% 1
2000s 78.1% 70.0% 82.3% 3
2010s 90.3% 84.8% 94.2% 4

Countries ranked near Nepal

  1. 58 Guatemala 95.4% compare
  2. 59 Nicaragua 95.3% compare
  3. 60 Egypt 95.2% compare
  4. 62 Indonesia 93.8% compare
  5. 63 Bangladesh 93.5% compare
  6. 64 Iraq 92.4% 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 total in Nepal?
Literacy rate, youth total in Nepal was 94.2% in 2019, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest literacy rate, youth total recorded in Nepal?
The highest recorded value was 94.2% in 2019.
What is the lowest literacy rate, youth total recorded in Nepal?
The lowest recorded value was 30.0% in 1981.
How does Nepal rank for literacy rate, youth total?
Nepal ranks 61st out of 95 countries with data for 2019.
Is literacy rate, youth total rising or falling in Nepal?
Over the last ten years it is up 14.6%. 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 total (% of people ages 15-24). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Literacy rate, youth total in Nepal. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 12 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-youth-total-percent-of-people-ages-15-24/nepal/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, youth total (% of people ages 15-24)
Unit
% of people 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, 2,762 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.