Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420)

ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420): Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes was 93.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
93.8%
Change on year
up 0.4%
Rank
89th
of 204 groups
All-time high
93.8%
in 2024
All-time low
50.2%
in 1975
Years of data
50
1975–2024

Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420), 1975–2024

020406080100197519992024

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420) is 93.8%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 50 years on record.

The figure is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 8.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420) peaked at 93.8% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 50.2%, in 1975.

That places ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420) 89th out of 204 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 50 years of available data.

Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420), year by year

Annual values for Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes (%) in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420), 1975 to 2024.
Year % Change
1975 50.2%
1976 50.2% +0.1%
1977 51.0% +1.5%
1978 51.6% +1.4%
1979 52.4% +1.4%
1980 52.9% +1.1%
1981 53.4% +0.9%
1982 54.0% +1.2%
1983 54.7% +1.2%
1984 55.4% +1.4%
1985 56.0% +1.1%
1986 56.7% +1.1%
1987 57.3% +1.1%
1988 57.8% +0.8%
1989 59.0% +2.1%
1990 60.3% +2.2%
1991 61.4% +1.8%
1992 62.8% +2.2%
1993 64.1% +2.2%
1994 65.2% +1.7%
1995 66.4% +1.8%
1996 67.4% +1.6%
1997 68.4% +1.4%
1998 71.7% +4.8%
1999 72.8% +1.6%
2000 73.9% +1.5%
2001 75.0% +1.4%
2002 76.0% +1.4%
2003 77.1% +1.5%
2004 78.0% +1.2%
2005 78.9% +1.2%
2006 78.8% -0.1%
2007 79.7% +1.1%
2008 80.9% +1.5%
2009 81.9% +1.3%
2010 83.4% +1.8%
2011 84.0% +0.7%
2012 84.6% +0.7%
2013 86.0% +1.7%
2014 86.7% +0.9%
2015 87.7% +1.2%
2016 88.8% +1.2%
2017 89.3% +0.6%
2018 89.1% -0.2%
2019 91.6% +2.8%
2020 92.1% +0.5%
2021 92.6% +0.5%
2022 92.9% +0.3%
2023 93.3% +0.5%
2024 93.8% +0.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 51.1% 50.2% 52.4% 5
1980s 55.7% 52.9% 59.0% 10
1990s 66.1% 60.3% 72.8% 10
2000s 78.0% 73.9% 81.9% 10
2010s 87.1% 83.4% 91.6% 10
2020s 92.9% 92.1% 93.8% 5

Countries ranked near ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420)

  1. 86 Benin 71.2% compare
  2. 87 Gambia 67.5% compare
  3. 88 Senegal 67.5% compare
  4. 89 Côte d'Ivoire 66.8% compare
  5. 90 Burkina Faso 62.8% compare
  6. 91 Afghanistan 62.7% compare
  7. 92 Guinea 53.9% compare

See the full ranking of 299 places →

More education data for ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420)

All data for ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420) →

Frequently asked questions

What is youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420)?
Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420) was 93.8% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420)?
The highest recorded value was 93.8% in 2024.
What is the lowest youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420)?
The lowest recorded value was 50.2% in 1975.
How does ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420) rank for youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes?
ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420) ranks 89th out of 204 groups with data for 2024.
Is youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes rising or falling in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420)?
Over the last ten years it is up 8.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420) data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420). Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/youth-literacy-rate-population-15-24-years-both-sexes-percent/escap-south-and-south-west-asia-sswa-unsdcode-98420/

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About this data

Indicator
Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
299 places, 9,763 data points, 1970–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release