Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)
ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500): Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes was 90.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500), 1981–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) stood at 90.5%. That is the highest value across all 44 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) peaked at 90.5% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 68.4%, in 1981.
ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) ranks 120th of 204 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 44 years of available data.
Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500), year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 68.4% | — |
| 1982 | 69.0% | +1.0% |
| 1983 | 69.2% | +0.3% |
| 1984 | 70.0% | +1.1% |
| 1985 | 70.7% | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 71.4% | +1.0% |
| 1987 | 72.1% | +1.0% |
| 1988 | 73.0% | +1.2% |
| 1989 | 73.8% | +1.1% |
| 1990 | 74.7% | +1.2% |
| 1991 | 75.8% | +1.5% |
| 1992 | 76.7% | +1.1% |
| 1993 | 76.1% | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 76.8% | +1.0% |
| 1995 | 77.6% | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 78.4% | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 79.2% | +1.0% |
| 1998 | 80.3% | +1.4% |
| 1999 | 81.0% | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 81.7% | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 82.5% | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 83.3% | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 84.4% | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 85.1% | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 85.5% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 83.9% | -1.9% |
| 2007 | 84.8% | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 85.5% | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 85.5% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 86.0% | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 86.6% | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 87.8% | +1.5% |
| 2013 | 88.9% | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 89.1% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 89.4% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 87.9% | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 88.6% | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 88.9% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 89.2% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 89.5% | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 89.8% | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 90.0% | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 90.2% | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 90.5% | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 70.8% | 68.4% | 73.8% | 9 |
| 1990s | 77.7% | 74.7% | 81.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 84.2% | 81.7% | 85.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 88.2% | 86.0% | 89.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 90.0% | 89.5% | 90.5% | 5 |
More education data for ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 34.40 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.01 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.88 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 16.59 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.304 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 2.28 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 2.80 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.6427 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.6849 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 23.71 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)?
- Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) was 90.5% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)?
- The highest recorded value was 90.5% in 2024.
- What is the lowest youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)?
- The lowest recorded value was 68.4% in 1981.
- How does ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) rank for youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes?
- ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) ranks 120th out of 204 groups with data for 2024.
- Is youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes rising or falling in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) 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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About this data
February 2026 Data Release