Adult literacy in Iran

Adult literacy in Iran: 36.5% in 1976 and 88.9% in 2023, by UNESCO estimates.

Latest, 2023: 88.9%
Since 1976: +52.4 percentage points
World, 2023: 87.6%

Watch it change on the map

% of adults · UNESCO

Estimates, UNESCOWorld

Every year

% of adults · UNESCO

Year	Iran	World
2024	–	87.7
2023	88.9	87.6
2022	88.6	87.4
2021	88.5	87.2
2020	87.9	87
2019	87.4	86.8
2018	86.9	86.8
2017	86	86.5
2016	85.5	86.3
2015	85.3	86
2014	84.7	85.6
2013	84.6	85.2
2012	83.6	84.9
2011	83.5	84.7
2010	83.7	84.4
2009	83.2	83.8
2008	83	83.5
2007	–	83.1
2006	82.3	82.5
2005	82.4	82.6
2004	–	82.6
2003	–	82.2
2002	77	81.7
2001	–	81.4
2000	–	81.1
1999	–	80.9
1998	–	80.5
1997	–	79.3
1996	73.1	77.3
1995	–	76.9
1994	–	76.4
1993	–	76
1992	–	75.5
1991	65.5	75.1
1990	–	74.6
1989	–	74.1
1988	–	73.6
1987	–	71.9
1986	52.3	71.3
1985	–	70.7
1984	–	70.2
1983	–	69.5
1982	–	68.9
1981	–	68.4
1980	–	67.8
1979	–	67.2
1978	–	66.5
1977	–	65.9
1976	36.5	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

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