Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Low & middle income

Low & middle income: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female was 79.9% in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
79.9%
Change on year
up 0.5%
Rank
19th
of 38 groups
All-time high
79.9%
in 2019
All-time low
43.0%
in 1975
Years of data
45
1975–2019

Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Low & middle income, 1975–2019

0204060801975199720191975: 43 %1976: 43.1 %1977: 43.3 %1978: 44.1 %1979: 44.9 %1980: 45.5 %1981: 46.7 %1982: 48.1 %1983: 48.4 %1984: 49.4 %1985: 50.4 %1986: 51.3 %1987: 52.2 %1988: 55.6 %1989: 56.6 %1990: 57.6 %1991: 58.5 %1992: 59.4 %1993: 60.3 %1994: 61.2 %1995: 62.2 %1996: 63.1 %1997: 67.2 %1998: 69.1 %1999: 69.8 %2000: 70.6 %2001: 71 %2002: 71.5 %2003: 72.2 %2004: 72.8 %2005: 72.7 %2006: 73.3 %2007: 73.4 %2008: 74.1 %2009: 74.7 %2010: 75.9 %2011: 76.2 %2012: 76.7 %2013: 77 %2014: 77.7 %2015: 78.3 %2016: 78.8 %2017: 79.2 %2018: 79.5 %2019: 79.9 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Low & middle income is 79.9%, measured in 2019. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.

That represents a change of up 0.5% on the previous year and up 7.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Low & middle income peaked at 79.9% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 43.0%, in 1975.

That places Low & middle income 19th out of 38 groups with data for 2019, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.

Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Low & middle income, year by year

Annual values for Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%) in Low & middle income, 1975 to 2019.
Year % Change
1975 43.0%
1976 43.1% +0.2%
1977 43.3% +0.5%
1978 44.1% +1.9%
1979 44.9% +1.9%
1980 45.5% +1.2%
1981 46.7% +2.6%
1982 48.1% +3.2%
1983 48.4% +0.5%
1984 49.4% +2.2%
1985 50.4% +1.9%
1986 51.3% +1.8%
1987 52.2% +1.8%
1988 55.6% +6.6%
1989 56.6% +1.7%
1990 57.6% +1.7%
1991 58.5% +1.6%
1992 59.4% +1.5%
1993 60.3% +1.6%
1994 61.2% +1.6%
1995 62.2% +1.5%
1996 63.1% +1.5%
1997 67.2% +6.4%
1998 69.1% +2.8%
1999 69.8% +1.0%
2000 70.6% +1.2%
2001 71.0% +0.5%
2002 71.5% +0.6%
2003 72.2% +1.0%
2004 72.8% +0.8%
2005 72.7% -0.1%
2006 73.3% +0.9%
2007 73.4% +0.2%
2008 74.1% +1.0%
2009 74.7% +0.7%
2010 75.9% +1.6%
2011 76.2% +0.5%
2012 76.7% +0.6%
2013 77.0% +0.4%
2014 77.7% +0.9%
2015 78.3% +0.8%
2016 78.8% +0.7%
2017 79.2% +0.4%
2018 79.5% +0.4%
2019 79.9% +0.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 43.7% 43.0% 44.9% 5
1980s 50.4% 45.5% 56.6% 10
1990s 62.8% 57.6% 69.8% 10
2000s 72.6% 70.6% 74.7% 10
2010s 77.9% 75.9% 79.9% 10

Countries ranked near Low & middle income

  1. 16 Philippines 98.3% compare
  2. 17 Jordan 98.3% compare
  3. 18 Venezuela 98.1% compare
  4. 19 Seychelles 98.1% compare
  5. 20 Brunei 98.1% compare
  6. 21 Malta 97.9% compare
  7. 22 China 97.7% compare

See the full ranking of 122 places →

More reference data data for Low & middle income

All data for Low & middle income →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Low & middle income?
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Low & middle income was 79.9% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in Low & middle income?
The highest recorded value was 79.9% in 2019.
What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in Low & middle income?
The lowest recorded value was 43.0% in 1975.
How does Low & middle income rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female?
Low & middle income ranks 19th out of 38 groups with data for 2019.
Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female rising or falling in Low & middle income?
Over the last ten years it is up 7.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Low & middle income 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 Low & middle income. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 28 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-population-25-64-years-female-percent/low-and-middle-income/

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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.