Literacy rate, adult female in Spain
Spain: Literacy rate, adult female was 99.6% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, adult female in Spain, 1981–2021
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 Spain is 99.6%, measured in 2021. That is the highest value across all 18 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 2.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult female in Spain peaked at 99.6% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 89.9%, in 1981.
That places Spain 6th out of 89 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 18 years of available data.
Literacy rate, adult female in Spain, year by year
| Year | % of females ages 15 and above | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 89.9% | — |
| 1991 | 95.0% | +5.7% |
| 2004 | 96.2% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 96.9% | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 97.0% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 97.3% | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 96.9% | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 96.9% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 97.0% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 97.1% | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 97.2% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 97.4% | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 97.5% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 97.5% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 97.7% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 98.0% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 98.2% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 99.6% | +1.4% |
Spain compared with similar countries
- Spain's 99.6% is above the median for high income countries, which is 96.4%, 1.0× the median. (12 countries reporting)
- Spain's 99.6% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 99.3%, 1.0× the median. (10 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 89.9% | 89.9% | 89.9% | 1 |
| 1990s | 95.0% | 95.0% | 95.0% | 1 |
| 2000s | 96.9% | 96.2% | 97.3% | 6 |
| 2010s | 97.4% | 97.0% | 98.0% | 8 |
| 2020s | 98.9% | 98.2% | 99.6% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Spain
More gender data for Spain
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 5,413 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -2.09 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 42,197 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 42,197 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 0.0961 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 161,756 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 171,794 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 164,221 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 174,083 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 166,341 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, adult female in Spain?
- Literacy rate, adult female in Spain was 99.6% in 2021, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, adult female recorded in Spain?
- The highest recorded value was 99.6% in 2021.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, adult female recorded in Spain?
- The lowest recorded value was 89.9% in 1981.
- How does Spain rank for literacy rate, adult female?
- Spain ranks 6th out of 89 countries with data for 2021.
- Is literacy rate, adult female rising or falling in Spain?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Spain 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.