Adult Literacy Rate in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Adult Literacy Rate was 37.27 in 2021. β² Rising
Latest (2021)
37.27
Change on year
up 3.5%
World rank
107th
of 110 countries
All-time high
37.27
in 2021
All-time low
18.16
in 1979
Years of data
5
1979β2021
Adult Literacy Rate in Afghanistan, 1979β2021
Source: International Monetary Fund.
Analysis
In 2021, adult literacy rate in Afghanistan stood at 37.27. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.5% on the previous year and up 18.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate in Afghanistan peaked at 37.27 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 18.16, in 1979.
Afghanistan ranks 107th of 110 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 18.16 | 18.16 | 18.16 | 1 |
| 2010s | 32.6 | 31.45 | 33.75 | 2 |
| 2020s | 36.64 | 36.02 | 37.27 | 2 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More gender data for Afghanistan
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 20,358 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 1.64 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 707,563 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 739,025 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 690,872 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 720,642 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 674,248 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, male, interpolated 703,775 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, female, interpolated 657,754 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, male, interpolated 686,729 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate in Afghanistan?
- Adult literacy rate in Afghanistan was 37.27 in 2021, according to International Monetary Fund.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 37.27 in 2021.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.16 in 1979.
- How does Afghanistan rank for adult literacy rate?
- Afghanistan ranks 107th out of 110 countries with data for 2021.
- Is adult literacy rate rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund, published as part of Adult Literacy Rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV Β· JSON β 5 observations, free to reuse under IMF Terms and Conditions (attribution required).
About this data
Gender-disaggregated data on educational outcomes.