Literacy rate, youth total in Pre-demographic dividend

Pre-demographic dividend: Literacy rate, youth total was 77.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
77.9%
Change on year
up 0.4%
Rank
37th
of 40 groups
All-time high
77.9%
in 2024
All-time low
63.1%
in 1986
Years of data
39
1986–2024

Literacy rate, youth total in Pre-demographic dividend, 1986–2024

0204060801986200520241986: 63.1 % of people ages 15-241987: 64 % of people ages 15-241988: 64.5 % of people ages 15-241989: 65.1 % of people ages 15-241990: 65.6 % of people ages 15-241991: 65.6 % of people ages 15-241992: 65.6 % of people ages 15-241993: 66 % of people ages 15-241994: 66.5 % of people ages 15-241995: 66.5 % of people ages 15-241996: 67 % of people ages 15-241997: 67.5 % of people ages 15-241998: 67.5 % of people ages 15-241999: 68.3 % of people ages 15-242000: 66.2 % of people ages 15-242001: 66.8 % of people ages 15-242002: 67.4 % of people ages 15-242003: 67.5 % of people ages 15-242004: 67.9 % of people ages 15-242005: 67.3 % of people ages 15-242006: 66.2 % of people ages 15-242007: 65.4 % of people ages 15-242008: 65.6 % of people ages 15-242009: 65.9 % of people ages 15-242010: 66.9 % of people ages 15-242011: 69.2 % of people ages 15-242012: 70.8 % of people ages 15-242013: 72 % of people ages 15-242014: 72.5 % of people ages 15-242015: 73.2 % of people ages 15-242016: 73.9 % of people ages 15-242017: 74.9 % of people ages 15-242018: 75.9 % of people ages 15-242019: 76.1 % of people ages 15-242020: 76.3 % of people ages 15-242021: 76.7 % of people ages 15-242022: 77.2 % of people ages 15-242023: 77.5 % of people ages 15-242024: 77.9 % of people ages 15-24

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for literacy rate, youth total in Pre-demographic dividend is 77.9%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 39 years on record.

The figure is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 7.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, youth total in Pre-demographic dividend peaked at 77.9% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 63.1%, in 1986.

Pre-demographic dividend ranks 37th of 40 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 39 years of available data.

Literacy rate, youth total in Pre-demographic dividend, year by year

Annual values for Literacy rate, youth total (% of people ages 15-24) in Pre-demographic dividend, 1986 to 2024.
Year % of people ages 15-24 Change
1986 63.1%
1987 64.0% +1.4%
1988 64.5% +0.7%
1989 65.1% +1.0%
1990 65.6% +0.8%
1991 65.6% +0.0%
1992 65.6% +0.1%
1993 66.0% +0.6%
1994 66.5% +0.7%
1995 66.5% +0.1%
1996 67.0% +0.7%
1997 67.5% +0.8%
1998 67.5% -0.0%
1999 68.3% +1.2%
2000 66.2% -3.1%
2001 66.8% +1.0%
2002 67.4% +0.9%
2003 67.5% +0.2%
2004 67.9% +0.6%
2005 67.3% -0.9%
2006 66.2% -1.7%
2007 65.4% -1.3%
2008 65.6% +0.4%
2009 65.9% +0.5%
2010 66.9% +1.5%
2011 69.2% +3.5%
2012 70.8% +2.2%
2013 72.0% +1.7%
2014 72.5% +0.8%
2015 73.2% +1.0%
2016 73.9% +0.8%
2017 74.9% +1.3%
2018 75.9% +1.4%
2019 76.1% +0.2%
2020 76.3% +0.3%
2021 76.7% +0.5%
2022 77.2% +0.5%
2023 77.5% +0.5%
2024 77.9% +0.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 64.2% 63.1% 65.1% 4
1990s 66.6% 65.6% 68.3% 10
2000s 66.6% 65.4% 67.9% 10
2010s 72.5% 66.9% 76.1% 10
2020s 77.1% 76.3% 77.9% 5

Countries ranked near Pre-demographic dividend

  1. 34 Sri Lanka 98.9% compare
  2. 35 Tajikistan 98.8% compare
  3. 36 Malaysia 98.8% compare
  4. 37 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 98.7% compare
  5. 38 Maldives 98.7% compare
  6. 39 Iran, Islamic Republic of 98.7% compare
  7. 40 Qatar 98.7% compare

See the full ranking of 135 places →

More education data for Pre-demographic dividend

All data for Pre-demographic dividend →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate, youth total in Pre-demographic dividend?
Literacy rate, youth total in Pre-demographic dividend was 77.9% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest literacy rate, youth total recorded in Pre-demographic dividend?
The highest recorded value was 77.9% in 2024.
What is the lowest literacy rate, youth total recorded in Pre-demographic dividend?
The lowest recorded value was 63.1% in 1986.
How does Pre-demographic dividend rank for literacy rate, youth total?
Pre-demographic dividend ranks 37th out of 40 groups with data for 2024.
Is literacy rate, youth total rising or falling in Pre-demographic dividend?
Over the last ten years it is up 7.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Pre-demographic dividend 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 Pre-demographic dividend. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-youth-total-percent-of-people-ages-15-24/pre-demographic-dividend/

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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.