Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Bangladesh

Bangladesh: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male was 73.7% in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
73.7%
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
71st
of 83 countries
All-time high
73.7%
in 2019
All-time low
38.6%
in 1981
Years of data
13
1981–2019

Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Bangladesh, 1981–2019

0204060801981200020191981: 38.6 %1991: 42.1 %2001: 49.8 %2007: 49.1 %2011: 58.5 %2012: 57.4 %2013: 58.6 %2014: 58.7 %2015: 63.6 %2016: 72 %2017: 72.1 %2018: 72.8 %2019: 73.7 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Bangladesh is 73.7%, measured in 2019. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 50.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Bangladesh peaked at 73.7% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 38.6%, in 1981.

Bangladesh ranks 71st of 83 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.

Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Bangladesh, year by year

Annual values for Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male (%) in Bangladesh, 1981 to 2019.
Year % Change
1981 38.6%
1991 42.1% +9.2%
2001 49.8% +18.3%
2007 49.1% -1.5%
2011 58.5% +19.3%
2012 57.4% -1.9%
2013 58.6% +2.0%
2014 58.7% +0.3%
2015 63.6% +8.3%
2016 72.0% +13.2%
2017 72.1% +0.1%
2018 72.8% +1.1%
2019 73.7% +1.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 38.6% 38.6% 38.6% 1
1990s 42.1% 42.1% 42.1% 1
2000s 49.4% 49.1% 49.8% 2
2010s 65.3% 57.4% 73.7% 9

Countries ranked near Bangladesh

  1. 68 Togo 74.7% compare
  2. 69 Nepal 74.4% compare
  3. 70 Egypt 74.1% compare
  4. 72 Mozambique 72.0% compare
  5. 73 Burundi 70.7% compare
  6. 74 Malawi 68.8% compare

See the full ranking of 122 places →

More reference data data for Bangladesh

All data for Bangladesh →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Bangladesh?
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Bangladesh was 73.7% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male recorded in Bangladesh?
The highest recorded value was 73.7% in 2019.
What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male recorded in Bangladesh?
The lowest recorded value was 38.6% in 1981.
How does Bangladesh rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male?
Bangladesh ranks 71st out of 83 countries with data for 2019.
Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male rising or falling in Bangladesh?
Over the last ten years it is up 50.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Bangladesh data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Bangladesh. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 26 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-population-25-64-years-male-percent/bangladesh/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
122 places, 2,219 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

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