Literacy rates among adults in Jordan
Jordan: Literacy rates among adults was 94.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rates among adults in Jordan, 1979–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, literacy rates among adults in Jordan stood at 94.4%.
That represents a change of down 0.4% on the previous year and down 3.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rates among adults in Jordan peaked at 97.9% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 66.8%, in 1979.
Jordan ranks 38th of 89 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 10 years of available data.
Literacy rates among adults in Jordan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 66.8% | — |
| 2003 | 89.9% | +34.6% |
| 2005 | 91.1% | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 92.2% | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 92.5% | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 95.9% | +3.6% |
| 2012 | 97.9% | +2.1% |
| 2018 | 95.4% | -2.5% |
| 2023 | 94.8% | -0.6% |
| 2024 | 94.4% | -0.4% |
Jordan compared with similar countries
- Jordan's 94.4% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 95.5%, 99% of the median. (33 countries reporting)
- Jordan's 94.4% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 94.4%, 1.0× the median. (15 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 66.8% | 66.8% | 66.8% | 1 |
| 2000s | 91.1% | 89.9% | 92.2% | 3 |
| 2010s | 95.4% | 92.5% | 97.9% | 4 |
| 2020s | 94.6% | 94.4% | 94.8% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Jordan
More education data for Jordan
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 73,057 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 10,973 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 83,712 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 80,149 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.03 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.12 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.9383 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0966 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rates among adults in Jordan?
- Literacy rates among adults in Jordan was 94.4% in 2024, 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 Jordan?
- The highest recorded value was 97.9% in 2012.
- What is the lowest literacy rates among adults recorded in Jordan?
- The lowest recorded value was 66.8% in 1979.
- How does Jordan rank for literacy rates among adults?
- Jordan ranks 38th out of 89 countries with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rates among adults rising or falling in Jordan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Jordan 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.