Youth/adult literacy rate in Iraq

Iraq: Youth/adult literacy rate was 93.5% in 2017. ▲ Rising

Latest (2017)
93.5%
Change on year
up 2.9%
World rank
40th
of 57 countries
All-time high
93.5%
in 2017
All-time low
83.5%
in 2012
Years of data
5
2000–2017

Youth/adult literacy rate in Iraq, 2000–2017

0204060801002000200820172000: 84.82012: 83.52014: 88.82016: 90.92017: 93.5

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.

Analysis

The most recent figure for youth/adult literacy rate in Iraq is 93.5%, measured in 2017. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.

That represents a change of up 2.9% on the previous year and up 12.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, youth/adult literacy rate in Iraq peaked at 93.5% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 83.5%, in 2012.

That places Iraq 40th out of 57 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the middle of the range.

Youth/adult literacy rate in Iraq, year by year

Annual values for Youth/adult literacy rate (%) in Iraq, 2000 to 2017.
Year Value Change
2000 84.8%
2012 83.5% -1.5%
2014 88.8% +6.3%
2016 90.9% +2.4%
2017 93.5% +2.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 84.8% 84.8% 84.8% 1
2010s 89.2% 83.5% 93.5% 4

Countries ranked near Iraq

  1. 37 Lesotho 96.5% compare
  2. 38 Honduras 95.8% compare
  3. 39 Guatemala 95.4% compare
  4. 41 Bangladesh 93.5% compare
  5. 42 Cambodia 91.8% compare
  6. 43 Togo 90.4% compare

See the full ranking of 83 places →

More education data for Iraq

All data for Iraq →

Frequently asked questions

What is youth/adult literacy rate in Iraq?
Youth/adult literacy rate in Iraq was 93.5% in 2017, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest youth/adult literacy rate recorded in Iraq?
The highest recorded value was 93.5% in 2017.
What is the lowest youth/adult literacy rate recorded in Iraq?
The lowest recorded value was 83.5% in 2012.
How does Iraq rank for youth/adult literacy rate?
Iraq ranks 40th out of 57 countries with data for 2017.
Is youth/adult literacy rate rising or falling in Iraq?
Over the last ten years it is up 12.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Iraq data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Youth/adult literacy rate (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Youth/adult literacy rate in Iraq. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/youth-adult-literacy-rate-percent/iraq/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://education.statizoid.com/stat/youth-adult-literacy-rate-percent/iraq/">Youth/adult literacy rate in Iraq</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Youth/adult literacy rate (%)
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
83 places, 1,012 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed