Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India)
MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India): Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes was 85.3% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India), 1975–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) recorded 85.3% for youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes in 2024. That is the highest value across all 50 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 6.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) peaked at 85.3% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 39.9%, in 1975.
MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) ranks 138th of 204 groups on this measure, 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 MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India), year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 39.9% | — |
| 1976 | 40.3% | +0.9% |
| 1977 | 41.0% | +1.9% |
| 1978 | 41.7% | +1.8% |
| 1979 | 42.4% | +1.7% |
| 1980 | 42.9% | +1.1% |
| 1981 | 43.2% | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 44.0% | +1.9% |
| 1983 | 44.8% | +1.7% |
| 1984 | 45.3% | +1.2% |
| 1985 | 45.9% | +1.2% |
| 1986 | 46.5% | +1.4% |
| 1987 | 47.0% | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 49.6% | +5.4% |
| 1989 | 50.6% | +2.0% |
| 1990 | 52.3% | +3.5% |
| 1991 | 53.2% | +1.7% |
| 1992 | 55.4% | +4.0% |
| 1993 | 57.4% | +3.7% |
| 1994 | 58.3% | +1.6% |
| 1995 | 59.7% | +2.5% |
| 1996 | 60.9% | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 61.9% | +1.7% |
| 1998 | 64.9% | +4.7% |
| 1999 | 66.3% | +2.3% |
| 2000 | 67.6% | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 68.7% | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 69.9% | +1.7% |
| 2003 | 71.4% | +2.2% |
| 2004 | 72.4% | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 73.3% | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 70.3% | -4.2% |
| 2007 | 70.6% | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 72.2% | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 73.1% | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 77.8% | +6.4% |
| 2011 | 77.4% | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 77.3% | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 79.9% | +3.4% |
| 2014 | 80.4% | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 81.9% | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 83.7% | +2.2% |
| 2017 | 83.9% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 82.1% | -2.2% |
| 2019 | 82.8% | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 83.2% | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 83.8% | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 84.0% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 84.7% | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 85.3% | +0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 41.1% | 39.9% | 42.4% | 5 |
| 1980s | 46.0% | 42.9% | 50.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 59.0% | 52.3% | 66.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 71.0% | 67.6% | 73.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 80.7% | 77.3% | 83.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 84.2% | 83.2% | 85.3% | 5 |
More education data for MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 4.49 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 3.65 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.68 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate -0.7828 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 24.83 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 3.99 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 26.38 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 3.33 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 16.69 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 6.02 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India)?
- Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) was 85.3% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India)?
- The highest recorded value was 85.3% in 2024.
- What is the lowest youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India)?
- The lowest recorded value was 39.9% in 1975.
- How does MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) rank for youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes?
- MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) ranks 138th out of 204 groups with data for 2024.
- Is youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, both sexes rising or falling in MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this MDG: Southern Asia (excluding India) 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