Youth/adult literacy rate in Least Developed Countries (LDCs)
Least Developed Countries (LDCs): Youth/adult literacy rate was 80.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Youth/adult literacy rate in Least Developed Countries (LDCs), 2000–2024
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
In 2024, youth/adult literacy rate in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) stood at 80.4%. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 6.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, youth/adult literacy rate in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) peaked at 80.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 62.4%, in 2000.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Youth/adult literacy rate in Least Developed Countries (LDCs), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 62.4% | — |
| 2001 | 63.2% | +1.2% |
| 2002 | 64.9% | +2.6% |
| 2003 | 65.6% | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 66.4% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 66.8% | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 63.6% | -4.8% |
| 2007 | 64.8% | +1.9% |
| 2008 | 65.2% | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 66.2% | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 69.7% | +5.3% |
| 2011 | 71.8% | +3.0% |
| 2012 | 72.5% | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 75.2% | +3.8% |
| 2014 | 75.5% | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 76.6% | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 77.8% | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 78.7% | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 78.7% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 79.1% | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 79.2% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 79.6% | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 79.7% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 80.1% | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 80.4% | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 64.9% | 62.4% | 66.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 75.6% | 69.7% | 79.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 79.8% | 79.2% | 80.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Least Developed Countries (LDCs)
More education data for Least Developed Countries (LDCs)
- Proportion of total government spending on essential services 13.4% (2024)
- Proportion of youth not in education, employment or training, by sex 24.6% (2025)
- Participation rate in formal and non-formal education and training 40.5% (2024)
- Adjusted gender parity index for participation rate in formal and 0.8125 (2024)
- Proportion of schools with access to electricity, by education level 56.4% (2024)
- Adjusted gender parity index for completion rate, by location, wealth 1.04 (2024)
- Proportion of schools with access to computers for pedagogical 34.2% (2024)
- Proportion of schools with access to basic drinking water, by 65.3% (2024)
- Proportion of schools with access to the internet for pedagogical 30.3% (2024)
- Proportion of schools with basic handwashing facilities, by education 49.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is youth/adult literacy rate in Least Developed Countries (LDCs)?
- Youth/adult literacy rate in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) was 80.4% in 2024, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest youth/adult literacy rate recorded in Least Developed Countries (LDCs)?
- The highest recorded value was 80.4% in 2024.
- What is the lowest youth/adult literacy rate recorded in Least Developed Countries (LDCs)?
- The lowest recorded value was 62.4% in 2000.
- How does Least Developed Countries (LDCs) rank for youth/adult literacy rate?
- Least Developed Countries (LDCs) ranks 9th out of 11 groups with data for 2024.
- Is youth/adult literacy rate rising or falling in Least Developed Countries (LDCs)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Least Developed Countries (LDCs) 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 — 25 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).