Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Iran (Islamic Republic of)

Iran (Islamic Republic of): Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male was 92.3% in 2016. ▲ Rising

Latest (2016)
92.3%
Change on year
up 0.9%
World rank
48th
of 83 countries
All-time high
92.3%
in 2016
All-time low
39.0%
in 1976
Years of data
11
1976–2016

Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Iran (Islamic Republic of), 1976–2016

0204060801001976199620161976: 39 %1986: 54.4 %1991: 68.4 %1996: 77.4 %2005: 87.8 %2006: 87.7 %2008: 88.5 %2012: 90.2 %2013: 91.3 %2014: 91.4 %2016: 92.3 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

Iran (Islamic Republic of) recorded 92.3% for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in 2016. That is the highest value across all 11 years on record.

That represents a change of up 0.9% on the previous year and up 5.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Iran (Islamic Republic of) peaked at 92.3% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 39.0%, in 1976.

That places Iran (Islamic Republic of) 48th 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 39.0% 39.0% 39.0% 1
1980s 54.4% 54.4% 54.4% 1
1990s 72.9% 68.4% 77.4% 2
2000s 88.0% 87.7% 88.5% 3
2010s 91.3% 90.2% 92.3% 4

Countries ranked near Iran (Islamic Republic of)

  1. 45 Brazil 93.6% compare
  2. 46 Qatar 93.1% compare
  3. 47 Sri Lanka 92.7% compare
  4. 49 El Salvador 91.8% compare
  5. 50 Namibia 91.5% compare
  6. 51 Zambia 89.8% compare

See the full ranking of 122 places →

More reference data data for Iran (Islamic Republic of)

All data for Iran (Islamic Republic of) →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Iran (Islamic Republic of)?
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Iran (Islamic Republic of) was 92.3% in 2016, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male recorded in Iran (Islamic Republic of)?
The highest recorded value was 92.3% in 2016.
What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male recorded in Iran (Islamic Republic of)?
The lowest recorded value was 39.0% in 1976.
How does Iran (Islamic Republic of) rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male?
Iran (Islamic Republic of) ranks 48th out of 83 countries with data for 2016.
Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male rising or falling in Iran (Islamic Republic of)?
Over the last ten years it is up 5.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Iran (Islamic Republic of) 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 Iran (Islamic Republic of). Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 20 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-population-25-64-years-male-percent/iran-islamic-rep/

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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.