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

Least developed countries: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male was 68.7% in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
68.7%
Change on year
up 0.7%
Rank
36th
of 39 groups
All-time high
68.7%
in 2019
All-time low
48.1%
in 1981
Years of data
39
1981–2019

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

02040601981200020191981: 48.1 %1982: 48.4 %1983: 48.8 %1984: 49.4 %1985: 49.8 %1986: 50.3 %1987: 50.8 %1988: 51.6 %1989: 52 %1990: 52.5 %1991: 52.9 %1992: 53.4 %1993: 53.9 %1994: 54.7 %1995: 55.3 %1996: 55.8 %1997: 56.5 %1998: 58 %1999: 58.7 %2000: 59 %2001: 59.7 %2002: 60 %2003: 60.6 %2004: 61.2 %2005: 61.5 %2006: 60.2 %2007: 59.7 %2008: 61.5 %2009: 62 %2010: 62.2 %2011: 62 %2012: 62.4 %2013: 63 %2014: 63.9 %2015: 65.2 %2016: 67.3 %2017: 67.8 %2018: 68.3 %2019: 68.7 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2019, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Least developed countries stood at 68.7%. That is the highest value across all 39 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 10.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Least developed countries peaked at 68.7% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 48.1%, in 1981.

Least developed countries ranks 36th of 39 groups 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 49.9% 48.1% 52.0% 9
1990s 55.2% 52.5% 58.7% 10
2000s 60.5% 59.0% 62.0% 10
2010s 65.1% 62.0% 68.7% 10

Countries ranked near Least developed countries

  1. 33 Panama 97.0% compare
  2. 34 Seychelles 96.8% compare
  3. 35 Kuwait 96.5% compare
  4. 36 Sao Tome and Principe 96.3% compare
  5. 37 Suriname 96.2% compare
  6. 38 Viet Nam 96.1% compare
  7. 39 Paraguay 95.7% 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, male in Least developed countries?
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Least developed countries was 68.7% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male recorded in Least developed countries?
The highest recorded value was 68.7% in 2019.
What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male recorded in Least developed countries?
The lowest recorded value was 48.1% in 1981.
How does Least developed countries rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male?
Least developed countries ranks 36th out of 39 groups with data for 2019.
Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male rising or falling in Least developed countries?
Over the last ten years it is up 10.9%. 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, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Least developed countries. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 21 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-population-25-64-years-male-percent/least-developed-countries-un-classification/

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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.