Literacy rate, adult female in Least developed countries
Least developed countries: Literacy rate, adult female was 62.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, adult female in Least developed countries, 1981–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of females ages 15 and above.
Analysis
The most recent figure for literacy rate, adult female in Least developed countries is 62.2%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 44 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 17.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult female in Least developed countries peaked at 62.2% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 29.2%, in 1981.
That places Least developed countries 34th out of 39 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 44 years of available data.
Literacy rate, adult female in Least developed countries, year by year
| Year | % of females ages 15 and above | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 29.2% | — |
| 1982 | 29.6% | +1.2% |
| 1983 | 29.9% | +1.2% |
| 1984 | 30.4% | +1.5% |
| 1985 | 30.9% | +1.6% |
| 1986 | 31.3% | +1.5% |
| 1987 | 31.9% | +1.8% |
| 1988 | 32.6% | +2.3% |
| 1989 | 33.3% | +1.9% |
| 1990 | 33.9% | +2.0% |
| 1991 | 34.4% | +1.5% |
| 1992 | 34.9% | +1.4% |
| 1993 | 35.5% | +1.7% |
| 1994 | 36.5% | +2.6% |
| 1995 | 37.6% | +3.0% |
| 1996 | 38.3% | +1.9% |
| 1997 | 39.1% | +2.3% |
| 1998 | 40.8% | +4.2% |
| 1999 | 41.7% | +2.3% |
| 2000 | 42.6% | +2.1% |
| 2001 | 43.6% | +2.3% |
| 2002 | 43.9% | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 44.8% | +2.1% |
| 2004 | 45.5% | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 46.0% | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 43.8% | -4.9% |
| 2007 | 45.0% | +2.9% |
| 2008 | 45.5% | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 46.2% | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 48.6% | +5.2% |
| 2011 | 50.6% | +4.2% |
| 2012 | 50.2% | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 52.3% | +4.2% |
| 2014 | 53.1% | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 55.2% | +3.9% |
| 2016 | 57.2% | +3.8% |
| 2017 | 58.4% | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 59.0% | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 59.5% | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 59.8% | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 60.5% | +1.2% |
| 2022 | 61.1% | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 61.7% | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 62.2% | +0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 31.0% | 29.2% | 33.3% | 9 |
| 1990s | 37.3% | 33.9% | 41.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 44.7% | 42.6% | 46.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 54.4% | 48.6% | 59.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 61.1% | 59.8% | 62.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Least developed countries
More gender data for Least developed countries
- Labor force, female 190.69 million (2025)
- Labor force, female, per capita 0.157 units per person (2025)
- Labor force, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Labor force, female, annual growth rate 2.77 % change on previous year (2025)
- Labor force, female, per square kilometre 9.08 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Incidence of HIV, ages 15-49, female 0.5909 per 1,000 uninfected female population ages 15-49 (2024)
- Incidence of HIV, ages 15-49, male 0.3771 per 1,000 uninfected male population ages 15-49 (2024)
- Incidence of HIV, ages 15-24, female 0.7852 per 1,000 uninfected female population ages 15-24 (2024)
- Incidence of HIV, ages 15-24, male 0.3129 per 1,000 uninfected male population ages 15-24 (2024)
- Ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24) 111.6% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, adult female in Least developed countries?
- Literacy rate, adult female in Least developed countries was 62.2% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, adult female recorded in Least developed countries?
- The highest recorded value was 62.2% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, adult female recorded in Least developed countries?
- The lowest recorded value was 29.2% in 1981.
- How does Least developed countries rank for literacy rate, adult female?
- Least developed countries ranks 34th out of 39 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, adult female rising or falling in Least developed countries?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Least developed countries 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.