Literacy rate in South Asia in 2024 — 78.23%. Since 1975, the indicator has risen by 40.79 pp.
1975–2024 · % of population aged 15+
How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: South Asia
| Year | % | Change, pp |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 78.23 | +0.66 pp |
| 2023 | 77.57 | +0.67 pp |
| 2022 | 76.9 | +0.84 pp |
| 2021 | 76.06 | +0.82 pp |
| 2020 | 75.24 | +0.73 pp |
| 2019 | 74.51 | −0.23 pp |
| 2018 | 74.74 | +0.72 pp |
| 2017 | 74.02 | +0.67 pp |
| 2016 | 73.35 | +1.39 pp |
| 2015 | 71.96 | +1.4 pp |
| 2014 | 70.56 | +0.72 pp |
| 2013 | 69.84 | +1.31 pp |
| 2012 | 68.53 | −0.17 pp |
| 2011 | 68.7 | +0.76 pp |
| 2010 | 67.94 | +2.9 pp |
| 2009 | 65.04 | +0.83 pp |
| 2008 | 64.21 | +0.83 pp |
| 2007 | 63.38 | +0.85 pp |
| 2006 | 62.53 | +0.09 pp |
| 2005 | 62.44 | −0.3 pp |
| 2004 | 62.74 | +0.8 pp |
| 2003 | 61.94 | +0.81 pp |
| 2002 | 61.13 | +0.82 pp |
| 2001 | 60.31 | +0.79 pp |
| 2000 | 59.52 | +0.79 pp |
| 1999 | 58.73 | +0.81 pp |
| 1998 | 57.92 | +5.32 pp |
| 1997 | 52.6 | +0.82 pp |
| 1996 | 51.78 | +0.83 pp |
| 1995 | 50.95 | +0.8 pp |
| 1994 | 50.15 | +0.8 pp |
| 1993 | 49.35 | +0.79 pp |
| 1992 | 48.56 | +0.78 pp |
| 1991 | 47.78 | +0.73 pp |
| 1990 | 47.05 | +0.78 pp |
| 1989 | 46.27 | +0.79 pp |
| 1988 | 45.48 | +0.71 pp |
| 1987 | 44.77 | +0.68 pp |
| 1986 | 44.09 | +0.67 pp |
| 1985 | 43.42 | +0.67 pp |
| 1984 | 42.75 | +0.67 pp |
| 1983 | 42.08 | +0.67 pp |
| 1982 | 41.41 | +0.67 pp |
| 1981 | 40.74 | +0.62 pp |
| 1980 | 40.12 | +0.65 pp |
| 1979 | 39.47 | +0.66 pp |
| 1978 | 38.81 | +0.68 pp |
| 1977 | 38.13 | +0.69 pp |
| 1976 | 37.44 | +0 pp |
| 1975 | 37.44 | — |
The share of the population aged 15 and older able to read and write a short simple statement about their everyday life. The UNESCO definition is deliberately minimal — it is the threshold of functional literacy, not an assessment of the quality of education. In most countries the data come from censuses and surveys, so they are updated irregularly.
Important: The series is incomplete: values are published only for the years in which a census or a literacy survey was conducted.
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), license CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO.
What share of their potential a child born today will manage to realize.
Education Population with tertiary educationWhat share of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Education Primary completion rateWhat share of children reach the last grade of primary school.
Education Primary school enrollmentThe net enrollment rate: the share of children of school age attending primary school.