Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Iran

Iran: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female was 82.6% in 2016. ▲ Rising

Latest (2016)
82.6%
Change on year
up 2.2%
World rank
54th
of 83 countries
All-time high
82.6%
in 2016
All-time low
15.8%
in 1976
Years of data
11
1976–2016

Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Iran, 1976–2016

204060801976199620161976: 15.8 %1986: 29.6 %1991: 45.3 %1996: 58.1 %2005: 72.1 %2006: 73.3 %2008: 74.7 %2012: 78.3 %2013: 80.4 %2014: 80.8 %2016: 82.6 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

Iran recorded 82.6% for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in 2016. That is the highest value across all 11 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.2% on the previous year and up 12.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Iran peaked at 82.6% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 15.8%, in 1976.

That places Iran 54th out of 83 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 15.8% 15.8% 15.8% 1
1980s 29.6% 29.6% 29.6% 1
1990s 51.7% 45.3% 58.1% 2
2000s 73.4% 72.1% 74.7% 3
2010s 80.6% 78.3% 82.6% 4

Countries ranked near Iran

  1. 51 Honduras 87.5% compare
  2. 52 South Africa 87.5% compare
  3. 53 Vanuatu 86.1% compare
  4. 55 Zambia 80.5% compare
  5. 56 Lao People’s Democratic Republic 77.7% compare
  6. 57 Algeria 76.4% compare

See the full ranking of 122 places →

More reference data data for Iran

All data for Iran →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Iran?
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Iran was 82.6% in 2016, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in Iran?
The highest recorded value was 82.6% in 2016.
What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in Iran?
The lowest recorded value was 15.8% in 1976.
How does Iran rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female?
Iran ranks 54th out of 83 countries with data for 2016.
Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female rising or falling in Iran?
Over the last ten years it is up 12.6%. 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 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 Iran. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 17 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-population-25-64-years-female-percent/iran-islamic-rep/

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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.