Literacy rate, youth total in Upper middle income
Upper middle income: Literacy rate, youth total was 99.3% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, youth total in Upper middle income, 1974–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of people ages 15-24.
Analysis
In 2024, literacy rate, youth total in Upper middle income stood at 99.3%. That is the highest value across all 51 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 0.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, youth total in Upper middle income peaked at 99.3% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 83.5%, in 1974.
That places Upper middle income 7th out of 40 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
Literacy rate, youth total in Upper middle income, year by year
| Year | % of people ages 15-24 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 83.5% | — |
| 1975 | 83.6% | +0.1% |
| 1976 | 83.8% | +0.3% |
| 1977 | 84.0% | +0.3% |
| 1978 | 85.0% | +1.2% |
| 1979 | 86.1% | +1.2% |
| 1980 | 87.0% | +1.1% |
| 1981 | 87.9% | +1.0% |
| 1982 | 88.5% | +0.8% |
| 1983 | 89.2% | +0.8% |
| 1984 | 90.0% | +0.8% |
| 1985 | 90.5% | +0.6% |
| 1986 | 91.0% | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 91.8% | +1.0% |
| 1988 | 92.9% | +1.2% |
| 1989 | 93.2% | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 93.5% | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 93.9% | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 94.2% | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 94.5% | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 94.8% | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 95.2% | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 95.4% | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 97.1% | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 97.2% | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 97.3% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 97.4% | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 97.5% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 97.7% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 98.0% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 98.1% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 98.2% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 98.0% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 98.3% | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 98.7% | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 98.7% | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 98.7% | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 98.7% | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 98.8% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 98.9% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 99.1% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 99.1% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 99.2% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 99.1% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 99.1% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 99.2% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 99.2% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 99.2% | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 99.2% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 99.2% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 99.3% | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 84.3% | 83.5% | 86.1% | 6 |
| 1980s | 90.2% | 87.0% | 93.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 95.3% | 93.5% | 97.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 98.1% | 97.4% | 98.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 99.0% | 98.7% | 99.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 99.2% | 99.2% | 99.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Upper middle income
- 5 Azerbaijan 99.9% compare
- 6 Belarus 99.9% compare
- 7 Republic of Moldova 99.8% compare
- 8 Mauritius 99.8% compare
- 9 Macau, China 99.8% compare
- 10 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 99.8% compare
More education data for Upper middle income
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 233.28 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 237.35 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.5256 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0774 units per person (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 68.5% (2025)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 13.41 million (2024)
- Population ages 0-14 19.6% (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, youth total in Upper middle income?
- Literacy rate, youth total in Upper middle income was 99.3% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, youth total recorded in Upper middle income?
- The highest recorded value was 99.3% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, youth total recorded in Upper middle income?
- The lowest recorded value was 83.5% in 1974.
- How does Upper middle income rank for literacy rate, youth total?
- Upper middle income ranks 7th out of 40 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, youth total rising or falling in Upper middle income?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Upper middle income 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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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.