Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in Nepal

Nepal: Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes was 4.56 million number in 2018. ▬ Flat

Latest (2018)
4.56 million number
World rank
11th
of 83 countries
All-time high
5.20 million number
in 2001
All-time low
4.56 million number
in 2018
Years of data
5
1981–2018

Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in Nepal, 1981–2018

02.0M4.0M6.0M1981199920181981: 4.6M number1991: 5.0M number2001: 5.2M number2011: 5.1M number2018: 4.6M number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

In 2018, illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in Nepal stood at 4.56 million number. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 10.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in Nepal peaked at 5.20 million number in 2001 and was at its lowest, 4.56 million number, in 2018.

Nepal ranks 11th of 83 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in Nepal, year by year

Annual values for Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes (number) in Nepal, 1981 to 2018.
Year number Change
1981 4.63 million number —
1991 5.04 million number +8.8%
2001 5.20 million number +3.2%
2011 5.07 million number -2.5%
2018 4.56 million number -10.0%

Nepal compared with similar countries

  • Nepal's 4.56 million number is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.31 million number, 3.5× the median. (26 countries reporting)
  • Nepal's 4.56 million number is above the median for South Asia, which is 4.56 million number, 1.0× the median. (5 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 4.63 million number 4.63 million number 4.63 million number 1
1990s 5.04 million number 5.04 million number 5.04 million number 1
2000s 5.20 million number 5.20 million number 5.20 million number 1
2010s 4.82 million number 4.56 million number 5.07 million number 2

Countries ranked near Nepal

  1. 8 Iran 5.49 million number compare
  2. 9 Morocco 5.09 million number compare
  3. 10 Cote d'Ivoire 4.98 million number compare
  4. 12 Indonesia 4.38 million number compare
  5. 13 Burkina Faso 4.31 million number compare
  6. 14 Mali 4.07 million number compare

See the full ranking of 122 places →

More reference data data for Nepal

All data for Nepal →

Frequently asked questions

What is illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in Nepal?
Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in Nepal was 4.56 million number in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in Nepal?
The highest recorded value was 5.20 million number in 2001.
What is the lowest illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in Nepal?
The lowest recorded value was 4.56 million number in 2018.
How does Nepal rank for illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes?
Nepal ranks 11th out of 83 countries with data for 2018.
Is illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes rising or falling in Nepal?
Over the last ten years it is down 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Nepal data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in Nepal. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 29 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/illiterate-population-25-64-years-both-sexes-number/nepal/

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About this data

Indicator
Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
122 places, 2,239 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Total number of adults from age 25 to age 64 who cannot both read and write with understanding a short simple statement on their everyday life.