Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity in South Asia
South Asia: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity was 0.8 GPIA in 2019. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity in South Asia, 1975–2019
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in GPIA.
Analysis
The most recent figure for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity in South Asia is 0.8 GPIA, measured in 2019. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 14.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity in South Asia peaked at 0.8 GPIA in 2019 and was at its lowest, 0.429 GPIA, in 1975.
South Asia ranks 32nd of 37 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity in South Asia, year by year
| Year | GPIA | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 0.429 GPIA | — |
| 1976 | 0.4291 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 0.4386 GPIA | +2.2% |
| 1978 | 0.4485 GPIA | +2.2% |
| 1979 | 0.4587 GPIA | +2.3% |
| 1980 | 0.4684 GPIA | +2.1% |
| 1981 | 0.4744 GPIA | +1.3% |
| 1982 | 0.4877 GPIA | +2.8% |
| 1983 | 0.4978 GPIA | +2.1% |
| 1984 | 0.5079 GPIA | +2.0% |
| 1985 | 0.5181 GPIA | +2.0% |
| 1986 | 0.5285 GPIA | +2.0% |
| 1987 | 0.5389 GPIA | +2.0% |
| 1988 | 0.5248 GPIA | -2.6% |
| 1989 | 0.5351 GPIA | +2.0% |
| 1990 | 0.5452 GPIA | +1.9% |
| 1991 | 0.556 GPIA | +2.0% |
| 1992 | 0.5606 GPIA | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 0.566 GPIA | +1.0% |
| 1994 | 0.5753 GPIA | +1.6% |
| 1995 | 0.5848 GPIA | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 0.5944 GPIA | +1.6% |
| 1997 | 0.6039 GPIA | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 0.6252 GPIA | +3.5% |
| 1999 | 0.635 GPIA | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 0.6448 GPIA | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 0.6544 GPIA | +1.5% |
| 2002 | 0.664 GPIA | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 0.6677 GPIA | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 0.677 GPIA | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 0.6624 GPIA | -2.2% |
| 2006 | 0.6798 GPIA | +2.6% |
| 2007 | 0.6843 GPIA | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 0.6912 GPIA | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 0.6999 GPIA | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 0.736 GPIA | +5.1% |
| 2011 | 0.7494 GPIA | +1.8% |
| 2012 | 0.7508 GPIA | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 0.7586 GPIA | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 0.7672 GPIA | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 0.7737 GPIA | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 0.7828 GPIA | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 0.7895 GPIA | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 0.7935 GPIA | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 0.8 GPIA | +0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.4408 GPIA | 0.429 GPIA | 0.4587 GPIA | 5 |
| 1980s | 0.5082 GPIA | 0.4684 GPIA | 0.5389 GPIA | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.5846 GPIA | 0.5452 GPIA | 0.635 GPIA | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.6725 GPIA | 0.6448 GPIA | 0.6999 GPIA | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.7702 GPIA | 0.736 GPIA | 0.8 GPIA | 10 |
Countries ranked near South Asia
- 29 Montenegro 0.9881 GPIA compare
- 30 South Africa 0.9861 GPIA compare
- 31 Mexico 0.9831 GPIA compare
- 32 Brunei Darussalam 0.9821 GPIA compare
- 33 Ecuador 0.9819 GPIA compare
- 34 Vanuatu 0.9819 GPIA compare
- 35 Kuwait 0.9818 GPIA compare
More reference data data for South Asia
- Exchange rate, new LCU per USD extended backward, period average 102.17 (2026)
- CPI Price, nominal 246.03 (2026)
- CPI Price, nominal, seas. adj. 247.05 (2026)
- School age population, one year before than official primary entry 16.19 million number (2019)
- School age population, one year before than official primary entry 33.83 million number (2019)
- School age population, one year before than official primary entry 17.64 million number (2019)
- School life expectancy, primary, both sexes 5.02 years (2019)
- School life expectancy, primary, male 5.06 years (2019)
- School life expectancy, primary, female 4.98 years (2019)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 98.2% (2019)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity in South Asia?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity in South Asia was 0.8 GPIA in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity recorded in South Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 0.8 GPIA in 2019.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity recorded in South Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.429 GPIA in 1975.
- How does South Asia rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity?
- South Asia ranks 32nd out of 37 groups with data for 2019.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity rising or falling in South Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Asia 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
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/