Adult Literacy Rate in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Adult Literacy Rate was 79 in 2022. ▲ Rising
Adult Literacy Rate in Bangladesh, 1981–2022
Source: International Monetary Fund.
Analysis
The most recent figure for adult literacy rate in Bangladesh is 79, measured in 2022. That is the highest value across all 16 years on record.
That represents a change of up 3.5% on the previous year and up 36.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate in Bangladesh peaked at 79 in 2022 and was at its lowest, 29.23, in 1981.
Bangladesh ranks 73rd of 110 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.
Adult Literacy Rate in Bangladesh, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 29.23 | — |
| 1991 | 35.32 | +20.8% |
| 2001 | 47.49 | +34.5% |
| 2007 | 46.66 | -1.7% |
| 2011 | 58.77 | +25.9% |
| 2012 | 57.86 | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 61.02 | +5.5% |
| 2014 | 61.09 | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 65.14 | +6.6% |
| 2016 | 72.76 | +11.7% |
| 2017 | 72.89 | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 73.91 | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 74.68 | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 74.91 | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 76.36 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | 79 | +3.5% |
Bangladesh compared with similar countries
- Bangladesh's 79 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 78.21, 1.0× the median. (37 countries reporting)
- Bangladesh's 79 is above the median for South Asia, which is 79, 1.0× the median. (5 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Adult Literacy Rate in Bangladesh changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | +34.5% | 35.32 | 47.49 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 29.23 | 29.23 | 29.23 | 1 |
| 1990s | 35.32 | 35.32 | 35.32 | 1 |
| 2000s | 47.08 | 46.66 | 47.49 | 2 |
| 2010s | 66.46 | 57.86 | 74.68 | 9 |
| 2020s | 76.76 | 74.91 | 79 | 3 |
Countries ranked near Bangladesh
More gender data for Bangladesh
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 48,868 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.1434 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 137,205 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 137,205 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 1.43 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 1.66 million (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 1.74 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 1.66 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 1.74 million (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 1.66 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate in Bangladesh?
- Adult literacy rate in Bangladesh was 79 in 2022, according to International Monetary Fund.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate recorded in Bangladesh?
- The highest recorded value was 79 in 2022.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate recorded in Bangladesh?
- The lowest recorded value was 29.23 in 1981.
- How does Bangladesh rank for adult literacy rate?
- Bangladesh ranks 73rd out of 110 countries with data for 2022.
- Is adult literacy rate rising or falling in Bangladesh?
- Over the last ten years it is up 36.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bangladesh 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 · JSON — 16 observations, free to reuse under IMF Terms and Conditions (attribution required).
About this data
Gender-disaggregated data on educational outcomes.