In the past five decades, the global literacy rate among youths aged 15 to 24 years has grown from 77 percent in 1975 to 92.7 percent in 2022. In 1975, young men had a literacy rate of 84 percent, compared to a rate of seventy percent among women. This difference of over 14 percent in 1975 has fallen to just two percent in 2019; among the total adult population, the gap in literacy rates is over seven percent.
Global youth literacy rate (aged 15 to 24 years) from 1975 to 2022, by gender
Characteristic
Overall
Male
Female
2022
92.73
93.89
91.51
2021
92.59
93.82
91.29
2020
92.48
93.79
91.09
2019
92.4
93.77
90.93
2018
91.56
92.91
90.15
2017
91.77
93.11
90.35
2016
91.58
92.99
90.09
2015
91.16
92.7
89.53
2014
91.12
92.8
89.36
2013
90.61
92.42
88.69
2012
90.41
92.34
88.37
2011
89.83
91.86
87.69
2010
89.58
91.81
87.23
2009
89.17
91.42
86.79
2008
89.11
91.45
86.63
2007
88.64
91.1
86.03
2006
88.44
91.12
85.85
2005
88.46
91.4
85.41
2004
88.33
91.09
85.47
2003
87.9
90.84
84.84
2002
87.44
90.41
84.35
2001
86.96
89.97
83.79
2000
86.63
89.84
83.31
1999
86.63
89.85
83.27
1998
86.32
89.7
82.8
1997
85.53
88.71
82.21
1996
84.69
88.24
81
1995
84.45
88.15
80.6
1994
84.2
88.04
80.2
1993
83.96
87.93
79.81
1992
83.71
87.68
79.56
1991
83.38
87.45
79.17
1990
83.18
87.32
78.87
1989
82.88
87.19
78.39
1988
82.63
87.07
78.01
1987
82.05
86.27
77.66
1986
81.4
85.81
76.82
1985
81.02
85.64
76.22
1984
80.61
85.46
75.57
1983
80.16
85.29
74.83
1982
79.81
85.2
74.24
1981
79.38
85.07
73.49
1980
78.93
84.93
72.73
1979
78.44
84.77
71.87
1978
77.82
84.46
70.94
1977
77.26
84.19
70.06
1976
77.1
84.16
69.79
1975
77.09
84.2
69.73
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World Bank. (June 28, 2024). Global youth literacy rate (aged 15 to 24 years) from 1975 to 2022, by gender [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 21, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1220168/global-youth-literacy-gender/
World Bank. "Global youth literacy rate (aged 15 to 24 years) from 1975 to 2022, by gender." Chart. June 28, 2024. Statista. Accessed December 21, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1220168/global-youth-literacy-gender/
World Bank. (2024). Global youth literacy rate (aged 15 to 24 years) from 1975 to 2022, by gender. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 21, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1220168/global-youth-literacy-gender/
World Bank. "Global Youth Literacy Rate (Aged 15 to 24 Years) from 1975 to 2022, by Gender." Statista, Statista Inc., 28 Jun 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1220168/global-youth-literacy-gender/
World Bank, Global youth literacy rate (aged 15 to 24 years) from 1975 to 2022, by gender Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1220168/global-youth-literacy-gender/ (last visited December 21, 2024)
Global youth literacy rate (aged 15 to 24 years) from 1975 to 2022, by gender [Graph], World Bank, June 28, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1220168/global-youth-literacy-gender/
