Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Least developed countries

Least developed countries: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female was 52.6% in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
52.6%
Change on year
up 1.4%
World rank
34th
of 38 countries
All-time high
52.6%
in 2019
All-time low
24.0%
in 1981
Years of data
39
1981–2019

Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Least developed countries, 1981–2019

02040601981200020191981: 24 %1982: 24.2 %1983: 24.6 %1984: 25.1 %1985: 25.5 %1986: 26 %1987: 26.7 %1988: 27.4 %1989: 27.9 %1990: 28.6 %1991: 29.2 %1992: 29.6 %1993: 30.1 %1994: 31.1 %1995: 32 %1996: 32.8 %1997: 33.8 %1998: 35.7 %1999: 36.6 %2000: 37.4 %2001: 38.6 %2002: 38.5 %2003: 39.2 %2004: 39.8 %2005: 40.4 %2006: 39.4 %2007: 39.3 %2008: 41.5 %2009: 42.1 %2010: 42.7 %2011: 42.6 %2012: 43.5 %2013: 44.5 %2014: 45.7 %2015: 47.4 %2016: 49.9 %2017: 51 %2018: 51.9 %2019: 52.6 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

Least developed countries recorded 52.6% for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in 2019. That is the highest value across all 39 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 24.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Least developed countries peaked at 52.6% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 24.0%, in 1981.

Least developed countries ranks 34th of 38 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 39 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 25.7% 24.0% 27.9% 9
1990s 32.0% 28.6% 36.6% 10
2000s 39.6% 37.4% 42.1% 10
2010s 47.2% 42.6% 52.6% 10

Countries ranked near Least developed countries

  1. 31 Kuwait 95.8% compare
  2. 32 Panama 95.7% compare
  3. 33 Indonesia 95.7% 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

See the full ranking of 122 places →

More reference data data for Least developed countries

All data for Least developed countries →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Least developed countries?
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Least developed countries was 52.6% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in Least developed countries?
The highest recorded value was 52.6% in 2019.
What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in Least developed countries?
The lowest recorded value was 24.0% in 1981.
How does Least developed countries rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female?
Least developed countries ranks 34th out of 38 countries with data for 2019.
Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female rising or falling in Least developed countries?
Over the last ten years it is up 24.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Least developed countries 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 Least developed countries. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 19 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-population-25-64-years-female-percent/least-developed-countries-un-classification/

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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.