Bangladesh vs India: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female

Bangladesh
67.8%
in 2019
India
61.7%
in 2018
Bangladesh rank
64th
India rank
66th

Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female over time

  • Bangladesh
  • India
204060198120002019

How they compare

Bangladesh currently reports 67.8% against 61.7% in India, a difference of 6.1%.

That makes Bangladesh's figure about 1.1 times India's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 5 shared years of data; in 1981 it was India ahead.

Bangladesh ranks 64th and India ranks 66th of 83 countries.

India has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Bangladesh India Difference Ahead
1980s 14.2% 21.1% 6.9% India
1990s 21.2% 28.7% 7.6% India
2000s 33.8% 42.6% 8.8% India
2010s 57.4% 57.9% 0.4% India

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female, Bangladesh or India?
Bangladesh, at 67.8% against 61.7% in India as of 2019.
What is the difference in literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female between Bangladesh and India?
6.1%, with Bangladesh ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Bangladesh and India?
5 years are reported by both, from 1981 to 2018.
How do Bangladesh and India rank globally for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female?
Bangladesh ranks 64th and India ranks 66th of 83 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Bangladesh vs India: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/literacy-rate-population-25-64-years-female-percent/bangladesh/india/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
122 places, 2,216 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Percentage of the female population between age 25 and age 64 who can, with understanding, read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life. Generally, ‘literacy’ also encompasses ‘numeracy’, the ability to make simple arithmetic calculations. This indicator is calculated by dividing the number of female literates aged 25-64 years by the corresponding age group population and multiplying the result by 100.