Literacy rates among adults in United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: Literacy rates among adults was 98.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rates among adults in United Arab Emirates, 1975–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, literacy rates among adults in United Arab Emirates stood at 98.8%. That is the highest value across all 8 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.8% on the previous year and up 1.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rates among adults in United Arab Emirates peaked at 98.8% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 53.5%, in 1975.
United Arab Emirates ranks 11th of 89 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 53.5% | 53.5% | 53.5% | 1 |
| 1980s | 71.2% | 71.2% | 71.2% | 1 |
| 2000s | 90.0% | 90.0% | 90.0% | 1 |
| 2010s | 97.8% | 97.8% | 97.8% | 1 |
| 2020s | 98.3% | 98.1% | 98.8% | 4 |
Countries ranked near United Arab Emirates
More education data for United Arab Emirates
- Duration of pre-primary education 2 years (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 4 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 82.2% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 16.0% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 10 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 108.0% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 39,735 (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 1.21 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 107.5% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rates among adults in United Arab Emirates?
- Literacy rates among adults in United Arab Emirates was 98.8% 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 United Arab Emirates?
- The highest recorded value was 98.8% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rates among adults recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The lowest recorded value was 53.5% in 1975.
- How does United Arab Emirates rank for literacy rates among adults?
- United Arab Emirates ranks 11th out of 89 countries with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rates among adults rising or falling in United Arab Emirates?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Arab Emirates 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.