Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in IDA total

IDA total: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female was 52.5% in 2016. ▲ Rising

Latest (2016)
52.5%
Change on year
up 6.6%
Rank
35th
of 38 groups
All-time high
52.5%
in 2016
All-time low
28.7%
in 1981
Years of data
28
1981–2016

Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in IDA total, 1981–2016

02040601981199820161981: 28.7 %1982: 29 %1983: 29.4 %1984: 29.8 %1986: 30.7 %1987: 31.4 %1988: 32.2 %1989: 32.7 %1991: 34.3 %1992: 34.6 %1993: 35.3 %1994: 36.2 %1996: 37.8 %1997: 38.8 %1998: 40.3 %2001: 42 %2002: 42.3 %2003: 43 %2004: 43.9 %2006: 44 %2007: 43.8 %2008: 45.1 %2009: 45.7 %2011: 46.8 %2012: 47.7 %2013: 48 %2014: 49.3 %2016: 52.5 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2016, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in IDA total stood at 52.5%. That is the highest value across all 28 years on record.

The figure is up 6.6% on the previous year and up 19.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in IDA total peaked at 52.5% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 28.7%, in 1981.

IDA total ranks 35th of 38 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 30.5% 28.7% 32.7% 8
1990s 36.8% 34.3% 40.3% 7
2000s 43.7% 42.0% 45.7% 8
2010s 48.9% 46.8% 52.5% 5

Countries ranked near IDA total

  1. 32 Panama 95.7% compare
  2. 33 Indonesia 95.7% compare
  3. 34 Least developed countries 52.6% compare
  4. 34 Qatar 95.2% compare
  5. 35 Brazil 95.1% compare
  6. 36 Paraguay 95.0% compare
  7. 37 Dominican Republic 94.7% compare
  8. 38 Viet Nam 94.5% compare

See the full ranking of 122 places →

More reference data data for IDA total

All data for IDA total →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in IDA total?
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in IDA total was 52.5% in 2016, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in IDA total?
The highest recorded value was 52.5% in 2016.
What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in IDA total?
The lowest recorded value was 28.7% in 1981.
How does IDA total rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female?
IDA total ranks 35th out of 38 groups with data for 2016.
Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female rising or falling in IDA total?
Over the last ten years it is up 19.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this IDA total data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in IDA total. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 20 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-population-25-64-years-female-percent/ida-total/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
122 places, 2,216 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Percentage of the female 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 female literates aged 25-64 years by the corresponding age group population and multiplying the result by 100.