Literacy in India has been increasing as more and more people receive a better education, but it is still far from all-encompassing. In 2023, the degree of literacy in India was about 77 percent, with the majority of literate Indians being men. It is estimated that the global literacy rate for people aged 15 and above is about 86 percent. How to read a literacy rateIn order to identify potential for intellectual and educational progress, the literacy rate of a country covers the level of education and skills acquired by a country’s inhabitants. Literacy is an important indicator of a country’s economic progress and the standard of living – it shows how many people have access to education. However, the standards to measure literacy cannot be universally applied. Measures to identify and define illiterate and literate inhabitants vary from country to country: In some, illiteracy is equated with no schooling at all, for example. Writings on the wallGlobally speaking, more men are able to read and write than women, and this disparity is also reflected in the literacy rate in India – with scarcity of schools and education in rural areas being one factor, and poverty another. Especially in rural areas, women and girls are often not given proper access to formal education, and even if they are, many drop out. Today, India is already being surpassed in this area by other emerging economies, like Brazil, China, and even by most other countries in the Asia-Pacific region. To catch up, India now has to offer more educational programs to its rural population, not only on how to read and write, but also on traditional gender roles and rights.

As of 2021, India recorded a higher nationwide literacy rate among men than women, at respectively **** percent of male population and **** percent of female population. The gender literacy gap was more evident in rural India, with only ** percent of women aged between 15 and 49 years being literate, compared to over ** percent of their male counterparts in the region.

Literacy Rate: Uttar Pradesh data was reported at 67.700 % in 12-01-2011. This records an increase from the previous number of 56.270 % for 12-01-2001. Literacy Rate: Uttar Pradesh data is updated decadal, averaging 32.650 % from Dec 1951 (Median) to 12-01-2011, with 7 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 67.700 % in 12-01-2011 and a record low of 12.020 % in 12-01-1951. Literacy Rate: Uttar Pradesh data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Education Sector – Table IN.EDA001: Literacy Rate.

In 2020, the digital literacy rate in India was found to be higher among men as compared to women. The rate of searching and browsing the internet was ** percent among the male population as compared to ** percent among the female population.

Literacy Rate: Tamil Nadu data was reported at 80.100 % in 12-01-2011. This records an increase from the previous number of 73.450 % for 12-01-2001. Literacy Rate: Tamil Nadu data is updated decadal, averaging 58.525 % from Dec 1961 (Median) to 12-01-2011, with 6 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 80.100 % in 12-01-2011 and a record low of 36.390 % in 12-01-1961. Literacy Rate: Tamil Nadu data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Education Sector – Table IN.EDA001: Literacy Rate.

As per the estimates for the year 2023, the literacy rate among women in India was ** percent. Meanwhile, the literacy rate among their male Indian counterparts reached approximately 85 percent in the same period. The adult literacy rate in the country stood at ** percent.

Literacy Rate: Delhi data was reported at 86.200 % in 12-01-2011. This records an increase from the previous number of 81.670 % for 12-01-2001. Literacy Rate: Delhi data is updated decadal, averaging 73.615 % from Dec 1961 (Median) to 12-01-2011, with 6 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 86.200 % in 12-01-2011 and a record low of 61.950 % in 12-01-1961. Literacy Rate: Delhi data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Education Sector – Table IN.EDA001: Literacy Rate.

The statistic shows the degree of adult literacy in China from 1982 to 2020. In 2020, the literacy rate, which is defined as people aged 15 and above who can read and write, had reached about 97.15 percent in China.

Global literacy rates

By 2020, around 86.8 percent of the world population aged 15 years and above had been able to read and write. While in developed regions this figure ranged a lot higher, only around 67 percent of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa was literate. Countries with the lowest literacy rates are also the most underdeveloped worldwide. According to UNESCO, literacy is a human right, especially in a fast-changing and technology-driven world. In China, the literacy rate has developed from 79 percent in 1982 to 97 percent in 2020, indicating that almost one million people per year had become literate over three decades. In India, the situation was entirely different. The second most populous country in the world displayed a literacy rate of merely 76 percent in 2022.

Literacy in China

The dramatic increase in literacy in China has a lot to do with the efficacy of numerous political, economic and educational policies. In 1982, compulsory education was written into the Chinese constitution, postulating a nine-year compulsory education funded by the government. As is shown by the graph above, there was a large gender gap in literacy rate in China as of 1982. Though this gap still existed in 2020, it was narrowed down to three percent, starting from 28 percent in 1982. Since 1990, the national education policy was directed at females, especially from poor and/or minority families. Over the past years, China has achieved gender parity in primary schooling.

However, regional literacy disparities in China should not to be overlooked. Regions with a strong economic background tend to display illiteracy rates below national average. In contrast, economically underdeveloped regions have a much larger share of people who cannot read nor write. Tibet for instance, a region where 92 percent of the population belong to an ethnic minority, showed the highest illiterate rate nationwide, with around 34 percent in 2022.

Literacy Rate: Kerala data was reported at 94.000 % in 12-01-2011. This records an increase from the previous number of 90.860 % for 12-01-2001. Literacy Rate: Kerala data is updated decadal, averaging 78.850 % from Dec 1951 (Median) to 12-01-2011, with 7 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 94.000 % in 12-01-2011 and a record low of 47.180 % in 12-01-1951. Literacy Rate: Kerala data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Education Sector – Table IN.EDA001: Literacy Rate.

State wise language data drawn from the 2011 government censuses. This layer also Includes mother tongue languages and literacy rates for men and women.Data source: https://data.humdata.org/dataset/india-languagesThis map layer is offered by Esri India, for ArcGIS Online subscribers. If you have any questions or comments, please let us know via content@esri.in.

In 2022, the degree of literacy in India was about 97 percent among the youth between the ages of 15 to 24 years. An exponential increase in the literary rate was seen over the years from 1981 in the country.

Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for allEnrolment in primary education in developing countries has reached 91%, but 57 million children remain out of school.More than half of children who have not enrolled in school live in sub-Saharan Africa.An estimated 50% of out-of-school children of primary school age live in conflict-affected areas. Children in the poorest households are 4 times as likely to be out of school as children in the richest households.The world has achieved equality in primary education between girls and boys, but few countries have achieved that target at all levels of education.Among youth aged 15 to 24, the literacy rate has improved globally from 83 per cent to 91 per cent between 1990 and 2015.India has made significant progress in universalizing primary education. Enrolment and completion rates of girls in primary school have improved as are elementary completion rates. The net enrolment ratio in primary education (for both sexes) is 88%(2013-14). At the national level, male and female youth literacy rate is 94% and 92%.This map layer is offered by Esri India, for ArcGIS Online subscribers, If you have any questions or comments, please let us know via content@esri.in.

Total Union Budget allocation for the Department of School Education and Literacy under the Ministry of Human Resource Development. It contains budgetary allocations by the Union Government for interventions in elementary and secondary education through Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), National Programme of Mid Day Meals, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) and various other schemes and programmes. It also contains schemes and programmes for adult education. The amount met from Education Cess for SSA and Mid-Day Meals also provided in this document.

Literacy Rate: Gujarat data was reported at 78.000 % in 12-01-2011. This records an increase from the previous number of 69.140 % for 12-01-2001. Literacy Rate: Gujarat data is updated decadal, averaging 44.920 % from Dec 1951 (Median) to 12-01-2011, with 7 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 78.000 % in 12-01-2011 and a record low of 21.820 % in 12-01-1951. Literacy Rate: Gujarat data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Education Sector – Table IN.EDA001: Literacy Rate.

Literacy Rate: Arunachal Pradesh data was reported at 65.400 % in 12-01-2011. This records an increase from the previous number of 54.340 % for 12-01-2001. Literacy Rate: Arunachal Pradesh data is updated decadal, averaging 33.570 % from Dec 1961 (Median) to 12-01-2011, with 6 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 65.400 % in 12-01-2011 and a record low of 7.130 % in 12-01-1961. Literacy Rate: Arunachal Pradesh data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Education Sector – Table IN.EDA001: Literacy Rate.

The average for 2021 based on 13 countries was 86.52 percent. The highest value was in Uzbekistan: 100 percent and the lowest value was in Afghanistan: 37 percent. The indicator is available from 1970 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

This dataset is a cross-sectional survey collected from two provinces in Pakistan (Punjab) and India (State of Gujarat). The sample included both urban and rural parts of the two countries. The dataset mainly looks at children’s learning and general life experiences in the early years of childhood (at ages 4 to 8). We assessed 1,129 children on tasks of basic numeracy, literacy, and social-emotional learning using a standardised measure of assessment, implemented at two points in time with a gap of 12 months. Also, we collected data on household characteristics, children's learning performance and a parents' survey of children's activities and learning outcomes.

Literacy Rate: West Bengal data was reported at 76.300 % in 12-01-2011. This records an increase from the previous number of 68.640 % for 12-01-2001. Literacy Rate: West Bengal data is updated decadal, averaging 48.650 % from Dec 1951 (Median) to 12-01-2011, with 7 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 76.300 % in 12-01-2011 and a record low of 24.610 % in 12-01-1951. Literacy Rate: West Bengal data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Education Sector – Table IN.EDA001: Literacy Rate.

Inde: Male literacy rate, ages 15-24: Pour cet indicateur, UNESCO fournit des données pour la Inde de 1981 à 2023. La valeur moyenne pour Inde pendant cette période était de 87.74 pour cent avec un minimum de 66 pour cent en 1981 et un maximum de 99.07 pour cent en 2020.

This dataset is a cross-sectional survey collected from two provinces in Pakistan (Punjab) and India (State of Gujarat). The sample included both urban and rural parts of the two countries. The dataset mainly looks at children’s learning and general life experiences in the early years of childhood (at ages 4 to 8). We assessed 1,129 children on tasks of basic numeracy, literacy, and social-emotional learning using a standardised measure of assessment, implemented at two points in time with a gap of 12 months. Also, we collected data on household characteristics, children's learning performance and a parents' survey of children's activities and learning outcomes.School enrolment of around 80% in India and Pakistan is lower than targets associated with Sustainable Development Goal 4 and functional levels of literacy and numeracy are inadequate even for many young children who are enrolled in school. This project, based on 1,500 young children from one province in Pakistan and one state in India, seeks to examine patterns of enrolment of children and school readiness by socio-economic group, family background, urban / rural locations and individual characteristics such as gender, disability and health. Attendance and progress at school will be analysed over one year, demonstrating how much of a difference school attendance can make to children’s cognitive development and health outcomes. The project aims to collect in-depth information from families and communities on their views of schools and any barriers to attendance, and conduct a systematic review of the evidence. The findings are expected to have policy implications on school enrolment, attendance and retention. The team's final project report was published on 20 September 2022, and a foreword has been authored by Ziauddin Yousafzai (Malala Yousafzai’s father). This dataset is a longitudinal design in which the same households were followed and children were assessed at the baseline and after the gap of 12 months. This study involved trained and highly experienced enumerators leading to the initial sample of 1,129 children by involving 783 households from selected districts (both urban and rural areas) in Punjab, Pakistan and Gujarat, India depending on the population dynamics of the village and enumerators' access to the households. Children aged 3 to 8 (according to parental reports of children’s age) were assessed by standardised tests. Parents were surveyed by family questionnaires regarding household socioeconomic conditions, reasons for school choice, children's general health and interest in attending school, and experience of access to their children's education during lockdown.