Afghanistan

Adult literacy in Afghanistan

Adult literacy in Afghanistan: 18.2% in 1979 and 37.3% in 2021, by UNESCO estimates.

Latest, 2021
37.3%
Since 1979
+19.1 percentage points
World, 2021
87.2%
Watch it change on the map

% of adults · UNESCO

Adult literacy in AfghanistanAdult literacy in Afghanistan: 18.2% in 1979 and 37.3% in 2021, by UNESCO estimates. The world as a whole: 87.2% in 2021.
Estimates, UNESCOWorld

Every year

% of adults · UNESCO

YearAfghanistanWorld
2024–87.7
2023–87.6
2022–87.4
202137.387.2
20203687
2019–86.8
2018–86.8
2017–86.5
2016–86.3
201533.886
2014–85.6
2013–85.2
2012–84.9
201131.584.7
2010–84.4
2009–83.8
2008–83.5
2007–83.1
2006–82.5
2005–82.6
2004–82.6
2003–82.2
2002–81.7
2001–81.4
2000–81.1
1999–80.9
1998–80.5
1997–79.3
1996–77.3
1995–76.9
1994–76.4
1993–76
1992–75.5
1991–75.1
1990–74.6
1989–74.1
1988–73.6
1987–71.9
1986–71.3
1985–70.7
1984–70.2
1983–69.5
1982–68.9
1981–68.4
1980–67.8
197918.267.2
1978–66.5
1977–65.9
1976–65.6
1975–65.4

Good to know

  • The share of people aged 15 and over who can read and write a short, simple statement about their everyday life.
  • Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics, via the World Bank.
  • The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time

Afghanistan in numbers

Every measure for Afghanistan on one page

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Military

Climate

Technology and environment

Other places nearby