Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female in Bangladesh

Bangladesh: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female was 79.7% in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
79.7%
Change on year
up 0.6%
World rank
31st
of 39 countries
All-time high
79.7%
in 2019
All-time low
34.1%
in 1981
Years of data
12
1981–2019

Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female in Bangladesh, 1981–2019

0204060801981200020191981: 34.1 %1991: 44 %2001: 57.1 %2011: 66.6 %2012: 66.5 %2013: 70.9 %2014: 71.4 %2015: 72.9 %2016: 78.3 %2017: 78.4 %2018: 79.2 %2019: 79.7 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female in Bangladesh is 79.7%, measured in 2019. That is the highest value across all 12 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 19.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female in Bangladesh peaked at 79.7% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 34.1%, in 1981.

Bangladesh ranks 31st of 39 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.

Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female in Bangladesh, year by year

Annual values for Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female (%) in Bangladesh, 1981 to 2019.
Year % Change
1981 34.1%
1991 44.0% +29.2%
2001 57.1% +29.6%
2011 66.6% +16.7%
2012 66.5% -0.2%
2013 70.9% +6.7%
2014 71.4% +0.7%
2015 72.9% +2.2%
2016 78.3% +7.3%
2017 78.4% +0.1%
2018 79.2% +1.0%
2019 79.7% +0.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 34.1% 34.1% 34.1% 1
1990s 44.0% 44.0% 44.0% 1
2000s 57.1% 57.1% 57.1% 1
2010s 73.8% 66.5% 79.7% 9

Countries ranked near Bangladesh

  1. 28 Cambodia 87.5% compare
  2. 29 Iran, Islamic Republic of 85.8% compare
  3. 30 Guatemala 85.7% compare
  4. 32 Uganda 79.6% compare
  5. 33 Egypt 77.1% compare
  6. 34 Mozambique 74.2% compare

See the full ranking of 39 places →

More reference data data for Bangladesh

All data for Bangladesh →

Frequently asked questions

What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female in Bangladesh?
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female in Bangladesh was 79.7% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female recorded in Bangladesh?
The highest recorded value was 79.7% in 2019.
What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female recorded in Bangladesh?
The lowest recorded value was 34.1% in 1981.
How does Bangladesh rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female?
Bangladesh ranks 31st out of 39 countries with data for 2019.
Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female rising or falling in Bangladesh?
Over the last ten years it is up 19.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Bangladesh data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female in Bangladesh. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 11 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/adult-literacy-rate-population-15-years-urban-female-percent/bangladesh/

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About this data

Indicator
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
39 places, 366 data points, 1976–2019
Last refreshed

Total number of females in urban areas over age 15 who cannot both read and write with understanding a short simple statement on their everyday life. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute of Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/