India: Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above)
In , India's Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) was 78.16.
That's down 4.3% from 2023, the highest value since .
The global average for this indicator in 2024 was 89.47 . India ranks #25 globally out of 29 reporting countries. Within South Asia, it ranks #2 of 2.
Source: World Bank Open Data (SE.ADT.LITR.ZS) • Data as of 2024
Trend (2006–2024)
Highlights
- Peak
- 81.70
- Trough
- 62.75
- 1-year change
- -4.3%
- 5-year change
- +4.4%
- +0.9% / yr
Historical Data — Last 10 Years
| Year | Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) |
|---|---|
| 78.1625 | |
| 81.7000 | |
| 76.3200 | |
| 76.0597 | |
| 75.5271 | |
| 74.8939 | |
| 73.6884 | |
| 69.8279 | |
| 69.3000 | |
| 68.3258 |
About Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above)
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.
Indicator code: SE.ADT.LITR.ZS • Category: Education
Frequently asked questions
- What was India's Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) in 2024?
- In 2024, India's Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) was 78.16, according to World Bank Open Data.
- Is India's Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) rising or falling?
- India's Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) fell 4.3% from 2023 to 2024.
- How does India rank globally on Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above)?
- In 2024, India ranked #25 out of 29 countries reporting Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above).
- How does India's Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) compare to the world average?
- The global average for Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) in 2024 was 89.47, so India is below the world average. Within South Asia, it ranks #2 of 2.
- What is Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) and how is it measured?
- 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.
Source: World Bank Open Data (SE.ADT.LITR.ZS), CC BY 4.0.