Illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan: Illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female was 63.6% in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
63.6%
Change on year
down 0.2%
Rank
14th
of 39 groups
All-time high
68.3%
in 2004
All-time low
61.5%
in 1973
Years of data
47
1973–2019

Illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, 1973–2019

0204060197319962019

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

The most recent figure for illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan is 63.6%, measured in 2019.

That represents a change of down 0.2% on the previous year and down 2.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan peaked at 68.3% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 61.5%, in 1973.

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan ranks 14th of 39 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 47 years of available data.

Illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, year by year

Annual values for Illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, 1973 to 2019.
Year Value Change
1973 61.5%
1974 61.5% +0.1%
1975 61.6% +0.1%
1976 61.5% -0.1%
1977 61.7% +0.2%
1978 61.7% +0.1%
1979 61.8% +0.1%
1980 61.8% +0.1%
1981 62.0% +0.2%
1982 62.1% +0.3%
1983 61.8% -0.6%
1984 62.0% +0.3%
1985 62.2% +0.4%
1986 62.2% +0.1%
1987 62.4% +0.3%
1988 62.6% +0.2%
1989 62.7% +0.2%
1990 63.2% +0.7%
1991 63.3% +0.2%
1992 63.5% +0.3%
1993 64.2% +1.2%
1994 64.3% +0.2%
1995 64.5% +0.3%
1996 64.7% +0.3%
1997 65.1% +0.6%
1998 65.6% +0.8%
1999 65.9% +0.4%
2000 66.2% +0.4%
2001 66.5% +0.4%
2002 66.8% +0.5%
2003 68.3% +2.2%
2004 68.3% +0.0%
2005 67.0% -1.9%
2006 66.0% -1.5%
2007 66.0% +0.1%
2008 65.9% -0.1%
2009 65.2% -1.1%
2010 65.0% -0.3%
2011 65.1% +0.2%
2012 65.9% +1.3%
2013 66.7% +1.2%
2014 65.5% -1.8%
2015 65.7% +0.2%
2016 63.9% -2.8%
2017 63.6% -0.4%
2018 63.7% +0.1%
2019 63.6% -0.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 61.6% 61.5% 61.8% 7
1980s 62.2% 61.8% 62.7% 10
1990s 64.4% 63.2% 65.9% 10
2000s 66.6% 65.2% 68.3% 10
2010s 64.9% 63.6% 66.7% 10

Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan

  1. 11 Tunisia 70.1% compare
  2. 12 Mozambique 69.5% compare
  3. 13 Iran, Islamic Republic of 69.1% compare
  4. 14 Togo 69.1% compare
  5. 15 Algeria 68.8% compare
  6. 16 Guatemala 68.4% compare
  7. 17 Senegal 67.6% compare

See the full ranking of 122 places →

More reference data data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan

All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan →

Frequently asked questions

What is illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
Illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan was 63.6% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
The highest recorded value was 68.3% in 2004.
What is the lowest illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
The lowest recorded value was 61.5% in 1973.
How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan rank for illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female?
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan ranks 14th out of 39 groups with data for 2019.
Is illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
Over the last ten years it is down 2.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 12 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/illiterate-population-25-64-years-percent-female/middle-east-north-africa-afghanistan-and-pakistan/

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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.