Literacy rates among adults in Iran
Iran: Literacy rates among adults was 88.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Literacy rates among adults in Iran, 1976–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for literacy rates among adults in Iran is 88.9%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 23 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and up 5.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rates among adults in Iran peaked at 88.9% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 36.5%, in 1976.
Iran ranks 49th of 89 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.
Literacy rates among adults in Iran, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 36.5% | — |
| 1986 | 52.3% | +43.3% |
| 1991 | 65.5% | +25.2% |
| 1996 | 73.1% | +11.5% |
| 2002 | 77.0% | +5.4% |
| 2005 | 82.4% | +7.1% |
| 2006 | 82.3% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 83.0% | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 83.2% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 83.7% | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 83.5% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 83.6% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 84.6% | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 84.7% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 85.3% | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 85.5% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 85.9% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 86.9% | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 87.4% | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 87.9% | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 88.5% | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 88.6% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 88.9% | +0.4% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 88.9% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 95.5%, 93% of the median. (33 countries reporting)
- Iran's 88.9% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 94.4%, 94% of the median. (15 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Literacy rates among adults in Iran changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | +43.3% | 36.5% | 52.3% |
| 1991 | +25.2% | 52.3% | 65.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 36.5% | 36.5% | 36.5% | 1 |
| 1980s | 52.3% | 52.3% | 52.3% | 1 |
| 1990s | 69.3% | 65.5% | 73.1% | 2 |
| 2000s | 81.6% | 77.0% | 83.2% | 5 |
| 2010s | 85.1% | 83.5% | 87.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 88.5% | 87.9% | 88.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iran
More education data for Iran
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 406,399 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 108,066 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 519,698 (2020)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 505,053 (2020)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.62 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 9.09 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 3.31 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1003 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rates among adults in Iran?
- Literacy rates among adults in Iran was 88.9% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest literacy rates among adults recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 88.9% in 2023.
- What is the lowest literacy rates among adults recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 36.5% in 1976.
- How does Iran rank for literacy rates among adults?
- Iran ranks 49th out of 89 countries with data for 2023.
- Is literacy rates among adults rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iran data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Literacy rates among adults. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the population aged 15 years and older who can read and write.