Illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female in Iran

Iran: Illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female was 69.1% in 2016. ▲ Rising

Latest (2016)
69.1%
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
13th
of 83 countries
All-time high
69.1%
in 2016
All-time low
56.7%
in 1976
Years of data
11
1976–2016

Illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female in Iran, 1976–2016

02040601976199620161976: 56.71986: 601991: 62.71996: 64.52005: 68.82006: 67.82008: 68.52012: 68.72013: 692014: 68.92016: 69.1

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

In 2016, illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female in Iran stood at 69.1%. That is the highest value across all 11 years on record.

That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and up 2.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female in Iran peaked at 69.1% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 56.7%, in 1976.

Iran ranks 13th of 83 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 11 years of available data.

Illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female in Iran, year by year

Annual values for Illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female in Iran, 1976 to 2016.
Year Value Change
1976 56.7% —
1986 60.0% +5.9%
1991 62.7% +4.4%
1996 64.5% +2.8%
2005 68.8% +6.8%
2006 67.8% -1.6%
2008 68.5% +1.1%
2012 68.7% +0.3%
2013 69.0% +0.5%
2014 68.9% -0.2%
2016 69.1% +0.3%

Iran compared with similar countries

  • Iran's 69.1% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 58.8%, 1.2× the median. (30 countries reporting)
  • Iran's 69.1% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 62.4%, 1.1× the median. (14 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 56.7% 56.7% 56.7% 1
1980s 60.0% 60.0% 60.0% 1
1990s 63.6% 62.7% 64.5% 2
2000s 68.4% 67.8% 68.8% 3
2010s 69.0% 68.7% 69.1% 4

Countries ranked near Iran

  1. 10 Morocco 70.2% compare
  2. 11 Tunisia 70.1% compare
  3. 12 Mozambique 69.5% compare
  4. 14 Togo 69.1% compare
  5. 15 Algeria 68.8% compare
  6. 16 Guatemala 68.4% compare

See the full ranking of 122 places →

More reference data data for Iran

All data for Iran →

Frequently asked questions

What is illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female in Iran?
Illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female in Iran was 69.1% in 2016, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female recorded in Iran?
The highest recorded value was 69.1% in 2016.
What is the lowest illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female recorded in Iran?
The lowest recorded value was 56.7% in 1976.
How does Iran rank for illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female?
Iran ranks 13th out of 83 countries with data for 2016.
Is illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female rising or falling in Iran?
Over the last ten years it is up 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Iran data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female in Iran. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 30 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/illiterate-population-25-64-years-percent-female/iran-islamic-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female
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

Share of the adult illiterate population (age 25-64) that is female.