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

Iran, Islamic Republic of: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, female was 87.9% in 2016. ▲ Rising

Latest (2016)
87.9%
Change on year
up 1.5%
World rank
28th
of 38 countries
All-time high
87.9%
in 2016
All-time low
31.0%
in 1976
Years of data
10
1976–2016

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

0204060801976199620161976: 31 %1991: 61 %1996: 70.7 %2005: 80.5 %2006: 81.6 %2008: 81.8 %2012: 84.3 %2013: 86.3 %2014: 86.6 %2016: 87.9 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2016, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, female in Iran, Islamic Republic of stood at 87.9%. That is the highest value across all 10 years on record.

That represents a change of up 1.5% on the previous year and up 7.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, female in Iran, Islamic Republic of peaked at 87.9% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 31.0%, in 1976.

Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 28th of 38 countries on this measure, 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, female in Iran, Islamic Republic of, year by year

Annual values for Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, female (%) in Iran, Islamic Republic of, 1976 to 2016.
Year % Change
1976 31.0%
1991 61.0% +96.7%
1996 70.7% +16.0%
2005 80.5% +13.8%
2006 81.6% +1.4%
2008 81.8% +0.2%
2012 84.3% +3.2%
2013 86.3% +2.4%
2014 86.6% +0.3%
2016 87.9% +1.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 31.0% 31.0% 31.0% 1
1990s 65.9% 61.0% 70.7% 2
2000s 81.3% 80.5% 81.8% 3
2010s 86.3% 84.3% 87.9% 4

Countries ranked near Iran, Islamic Republic of

  1. 25 Honduras 93.2% compare
  2. 26 El Salvador 92.7% compare
  3. 27 South Africa 91.9% compare
  4. 29 Cambodia 87.1% compare
  5. 30 Guatemala 85.5% compare
  6. 31 Bangladesh 77.1% compare

See the full ranking of 38 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, female in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, female in Iran, Islamic Republic of was 87.9% in 2016, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, female recorded in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
The highest recorded value was 87.9% in 2016.
What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, female recorded in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
The lowest recorded value was 31.0% in 1976.
How does Iran, Islamic Republic of rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, female?
Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 28th out of 38 countries with data for 2016.
Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, female rising or falling in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
Over the last ten years it is up 7.7%. 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, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, urban, female (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
38 places, 361 data points, 1976–2019
Last refreshed

Percentage of the female 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 female 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/