Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%) (Literacy female) in World
World: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%) (Literacy female) was 82.9% in 2019. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in World, 1976–2019
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2019, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in World stood at 82.9%. That is the highest value across all 44 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 5.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in World peaked at 82.9% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 54.5%, in 1976.
That places World 17th out of 39 groups with data for 2019, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 44 years of available data.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%) (Literacy female) in World, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 54.5% | — |
| 1977 | 54.6% | +0.3% |
| 1978 | 55.2% | +1.1% |
| 1979 | 55.8% | +1.1% |
| 1980 | 56.2% | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 57.3% | +1.9% |
| 1982 | 58.3% | +1.7% |
| 1983 | 58.5% | +0.3% |
| 1984 | 59.2% | +1.4% |
| 1985 | 59.9% | +1.2% |
| 1986 | 60.6% | +1.1% |
| 1987 | 61.3% | +1.1% |
| 1988 | 64.1% | +4.6% |
| 1989 | 64.8% | +1.1% |
| 1990 | 65.6% | +1.1% |
| 1991 | 66.3% | +1.1% |
| 1992 | 66.9% | +0.9% |
| 1993 | 67.6% | +1.0% |
| 1994 | 68.3% | +1.1% |
| 1995 | 69.0% | +1.1% |
| 1996 | 69.7% | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 72.9% | +4.5% |
| 1998 | 74.4% | +2.0% |
| 1999 | 75.0% | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 75.6% | +0.9% |
| 2001 | 75.9% | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 76.3% | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 76.9% | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 77.4% | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 77.3% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 77.8% | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 77.9% | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 78.5% | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 78.9% | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 79.8% | +1.2% |
| 2011 | 80.1% | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 80.4% | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 80.6% | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 81.2% | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 81.7% | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 82.1% | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 82.3% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 82.6% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 82.9% | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 55.0% | 54.5% | 55.8% | 4 |
| 1980s | 60.0% | 56.2% | 64.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 69.6% | 65.6% | 75.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 77.3% | 75.6% | 78.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 81.4% | 79.8% | 82.9% | 10 |
Countries ranked near World
More reference data data for World
- Exposure to extreme temperature — Annual temperature change 1.3 Degrees celsius (2023)
- Exposure to extreme precipitation — Annual precipitation change -41.07 Millimetres per year (2023)
- School life expectancy, primary, both sexes 5.73 years (2019)
- School age population, one year before than official primary entry 68.68 million number (2019)
- School age population, one year before than official primary entry 64.37 million number (2019)
- School age population, one year before than official primary entry 133.05 million number (2019)
- School life expectancy, primary, male 5.79 years (2019)
- School life expectancy, primary, female 5.67 years (2019)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 89.7% (2019)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 10.82 million number (2019)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in World?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in World was 82.9% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in World?
- The highest recorded value was 82.9% in 2019.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in World?
- The lowest recorded value was 54.5% in 1976.
- How does World rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female?
- World ranks 17th out of 39 groups with data for 2019.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female rising or falling in World?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this World 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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About this data
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.