Literacy rates among adults in Nepal
Nepal: Literacy rates among adults was 68.7% in 2019. ▲ Rising
Literacy rates among adults in Nepal, 1981–2019
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Nepal recorded 68.7% for literacy rates among adults in 2019. That is the highest value across all 8 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.8% on the previous year and up 23.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rates among adults in Nepal peaked at 68.7% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 20.6%, in 1981.
That places Nepal 74th out of 89 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Literacy rates among adults in Nepal, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 20.6% | — |
| 1991 | 33.0% | +60.3% |
| 2001 | 48.6% | +47.4% |
| 2008 | 55.6% | +14.3% |
| 2011 | 59.6% | +7.3% |
| 2016 | 65.5% | +9.8% |
| 2017 | 66.9% | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 68.7% | +2.8% |
Nepal compared with similar countries
- Nepal's 68.7% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 78.2%, 88% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
- Nepal's 68.7% is below the median for South Asia, which is 79.0%, 87% of the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 20.6% | 20.6% | 20.6% | 1 |
| 1990s | 33.0% | 33.0% | 33.0% | 1 |
| 2000s | 52.1% | 48.6% | 55.6% | 2 |
| 2010s | 65.2% | 59.6% | 68.7% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
- 71 Nigeria 70.4% compare
- 72 Malawi 70.2% compare
- 73 East Timor 69.4% compare
- 75 Democratic Republic of Congo 68.5% compare
- 76 Morocco 64.3% compare
- 77 Mozambique 61.7% compare
More education data for Nepal
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 124,257 (2025)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 263,796 (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 752,326 (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 609,324 (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.67 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.57 million (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.31 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1204 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rates among adults in Nepal?
- Literacy rates among adults in Nepal was 68.7% in 2019, 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 Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 68.7% in 2019.
- What is the lowest literacy rates among adults recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.6% in 1981.
- How does Nepal rank for literacy rates among adults?
- Nepal ranks 74th out of 89 countries with data for 2019.
- Is literacy rates among adults rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 23.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nepal 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.