Literacy rate, adult female in Iran
Iran: Literacy rate, adult female was 85.1% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, adult female in Iran, 1976–2023
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of females ages 15 and above.
Analysis
In 2023, literacy rate, adult female in Iran stood at 85.1%. That is the highest value across all 23 years on record.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 6.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult female in Iran peaked at 85.1% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 24.4%, in 1976.
That places Iran 51st out of 89 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.
Literacy rate, adult female in Iran, year by year
| Year | % of females ages 15 and above | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 24.4% | — |
| 1986 | 41.0% | +68.0% |
| 1991 | 56.2% | +36.9% |
| 1996 | 66.1% | +17.6% |
| 2002 | 70.4% | +6.6% |
| 2005 | 76.8% | +9.1% |
| 2006 | 77.2% | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 77.7% | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 78.1% | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 78.5% | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 79.0% | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 78.4% | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 79.8% | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 79.8% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 80.6% | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 80.8% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 81.4% | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 82.6% | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 83.1% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 83.8% | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 84.5% | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 84.7% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 85.1% | +0.5% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 85.1% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 94.8%, 90% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
- Iran's 85.1% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 88.6%, 96% of the median. (16 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Literacy rate, adult female in Iran 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | +68.0% | 24.4% | 41.0% |
| 1991 | +36.9% | 41.0% | 56.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 24.4% | 24.4% | 24.4% | 1 |
| 1980s | 41.0% | 41.0% | 41.0% | 1 |
| 1990s | 61.1% | 56.2% | 66.1% | 2 |
| 2000s | 76.0% | 70.4% | 78.1% | 5 |
| 2010s | 80.4% | 78.4% | 83.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 84.5% | 83.8% | 85.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iran
- 48 Honduras 88.8% compare
- 49 El Salvador 88.2% compare
- 50 Namibia 87.4% compare
- 52 Cape Verde 84.1% compare
- 53 Sao Tome and Principe 82.8% compare
- 54 Tunisia 80.1% compare
More gender data for Iran
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 18,410 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -2.73 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 77,077 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 77,077 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 1.34 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 552,656 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 580,401 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 565,065 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 593,686 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 576,359 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, adult female in Iran?
- Literacy rate, adult female in Iran was 85.1% in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, adult female recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 85.1% in 2023.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, adult female recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.4% in 1976.
- How does Iran rank for literacy rate, adult female?
- Iran ranks 51st out of 89 countries with data for 2023.
- Is literacy rate, adult female rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iran data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Literacy rate, adult female (% of females ages 15 and above). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.