Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity in India

India: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity was 0.7987 GPIA in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
0.7987 GPIA
World rank
72nd
of 87 countries
All-time high
0.7987 GPIA
in 2018
All-time low
0.4682 GPIA
in 1981
Years of data
6
1981–2018

Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity in India, 1981–2018

00.20.40.60.81981199920181981: 0.468 GPIA1991: 0.547 GPIA2001: 0.652 GPIA2006: 0.676 GPIA2011: 0.752 GPIA2018: 0.799 GPIA

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in GPIA.

Analysis

India recorded 0.7987 GPIA for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity in 2018. That is the highest value across all 6 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 18.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity in India peaked at 0.7987 GPIA in 2018 and was at its lowest, 0.4682 GPIA, in 1981.

That places India 72nd out of 87 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity in India, year by year

Annual values for Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity index (GPIA) in India, 1981 to 2018.
Year GPIA Change
1981 0.4682 GPIA
1991 0.5472 GPIA +16.9%
2001 0.6517 GPIA +19.1%
2006 0.6759 GPIA +3.7%
2011 0.7515 GPIA +11.2%
2018 0.7987 GPIA +6.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 0.4682 GPIA 0.4682 GPIA 0.4682 GPIA 1
1990s 0.5472 GPIA 0.5472 GPIA 0.5472 GPIA 1
2000s 0.6638 GPIA 0.6517 GPIA 0.6759 GPIA 2
2010s 0.7751 GPIA 0.7515 GPIA 0.7987 GPIA 2

Countries ranked near India

  1. 69 Egypt 0.8563 GPIA compare
  2. 70 Tunisia 0.8392 GPIA compare
  3. 71 Burundi 0.8024 GPIA compare
  4. 73 Malawi 0.7914 GPIA compare
  5. 74 Morocco 0.7754 GPIA compare
  6. 75 Nepal 0.7599 GPIA compare

See the full ranking of 124 places →

More reference data data for India

All data for India →

Frequently asked questions

What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity in India?
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity in India was 0.7987 GPIA in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity recorded in India?
The highest recorded value was 0.7987 GPIA in 2018.
What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity recorded in India?
The lowest recorded value was 0.4682 GPIA in 1981.
How does India rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity?
India ranks 72nd out of 87 countries with data for 2018.
Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity rising or falling in India?
Over the last ten years it is up 18.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this India data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity index (GPIA). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity in India. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 29 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/adult-literacy-rate-population-15-years-adjusted-gender-parity-index-gpia/india/

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About this data

Indicator
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity index (GPIA)
Unit
GPIA
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
124 places, 2,183 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

The Adjusted Gender Parity Index (GPIA) is calculated by dividing the female value for the indicator by the male value for the indicator. If the resulting value exceeds 1, the ratio is inverted and subtracted from 2. The adjusted gender parity index is symmetrical around 1 and lies in the range 0-2. An adjusted GPI equal to 1 indicates parity between females and males. In general, a value less than 1 indicates disparity in favor of males and a value greater than 1 indicates disparity in favor of females. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute for Statistics: http://uis.unesco.org/