Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Nepal

Nepal: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes was 60.7% in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
60.7%
World rank
71st
of 83 countries
All-time high
60.7%
in 2018
All-time low
17.0%
in 1981
Years of data
5
1981–2018

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

20304050601981199920181981: 17 %1991: 26.3 %2001: 40.9 %2011: 52.2 %2018: 60.7 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Nepal is 60.7%, measured in 2018. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.

That represents a change of up 16.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Nepal peaked at 60.7% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 17.0%, in 1981.

That places Nepal 71st out of 83 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 17.0% 17.0% 17.0% 1
1990s 26.3% 26.3% 26.3% 1
2000s 40.9% 40.9% 40.9% 1
2010s 56.4% 52.2% 60.7% 2

Countries ranked near Nepal

  1. 68 Uganda 69.9% compare
  2. 69 Egypt 67.5% compare
  3. 70 Burundi 60.8% compare
  4. 72 Malawi 59.1% compare
  5. 73 Togo 59.0% compare
  6. 74 Nigeria 57.4% compare

See the full ranking of 122 places →

More reference data data for Nepal

All data for Nepal →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Nepal?
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Nepal was 60.7% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in Nepal?
The highest recorded value was 60.7% in 2018.
What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in Nepal?
The lowest recorded value was 17.0% in 1981.
How does Nepal rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes?
Nepal ranks 71st out of 83 countries with data for 2018.
Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes rising or falling in Nepal?
Over the last ten years it is up 16.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Nepal data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Nepal. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 20 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-population-25-64-years-both-sexes-percent/nepal/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-population-25-64-years-both-sexes-percent/nepal/">Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Nepal</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
122 places, 2,220 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Percentage of the population between age 25 and age 64 who can, with understanding, read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life. Generally, ‘literacy’ also encompasses ‘numeracy’, the ability to make simple arithmetic calculations. This indicator is calculated by dividing the number of literates aged 25-64 years by the corresponding age group population and multiplying the result by 100.