Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, both sexes in Iran, Islamic Republic of

Iran, Islamic Republic of: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, both sexes was 91.4% in 2016. ▲ Rising

Latest (2016)
91.4%
Change on year
up 1.0%
World rank
29th
of 39 countries
All-time high
91.4%
in 2016
All-time low
46.0%
in 1976
Years of data
10
1976–2016

Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, both sexes in Iran, Islamic Republic of, 1976–2016

0204060801001976199620161976: 46 %1991: 70.9 %1996: 78.3 %2005: 86.4 %2006: 87 %2008: 87 %2012: 88.9 %2013: 90.3 %2014: 90.4 %2016: 91.4 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

Iran, Islamic Republic of recorded 91.4% for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, both sexes in 2016. That is the highest value across all 10 years on record.

That represents a change of up 1.0% on the previous year and up 5.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, both sexes in Iran, Islamic Republic of peaked at 91.4% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 46.0%, in 1976.

That places Iran, Islamic Republic of 29th out of 39 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 10 years of available data.

Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, both sexes in Iran, Islamic Republic of, year by year

Annual values for Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, both sexes (%) in Iran, Islamic Republic of, 1976 to 2016.
Year % Change
1976 46.0%
1991 70.9% +54.3%
1996 78.3% +10.5%
2005 86.4% +10.3%
2006 87.0% +0.6%
2008 87.0% +0.1%
2012 88.9% +2.1%
2013 90.3% +1.6%
2014 90.4% +0.1%
2016 91.4% +1.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 46.0% 46.0% 46.0% 1
1990s 74.6% 70.9% 78.3% 2
2000s 86.8% 86.4% 87.0% 3
2010s 90.2% 88.9% 91.4% 4

Countries ranked near Iran, Islamic Republic of

  1. 26 Honduras 93.6% compare
  2. 27 Qatar 93.5% compare
  3. 28 South Africa 91.9% compare
  4. 30 Cambodia 90.9% compare
  5. 31 Guatemala 89.3% compare
  6. 32 Uganda 81.8% compare

See the full ranking of 39 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, urban, both sexes in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, both sexes in Iran, Islamic Republic of was 91.4% in 2016, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, both sexes recorded in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
The highest recorded value was 91.4% in 2016.
What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, both sexes recorded in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
The lowest recorded value was 46.0% in 1976.
How does Iran, Islamic Republic of rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, both sexes?
Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 29th out of 39 countries with data for 2016.
Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, both sexes rising or falling in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
Over the last ten years it is up 5.1%. 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, urban, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, both sexes in Iran, Islamic Republic of. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-population-25-64-years-urban-both-sexes-percent/iran-islamic-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
39 places, 366 data points, 1976–2019
Last refreshed

Percentage of the population in urban areas 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 literates aged 25-64 years by the corresponding age group population and multiplying the result by 100. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute of Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/