Afghanistan Literacy Rate
Adult literacy rate SE.ADT.LITR.ZS
Overview
Afghanistan's literacy rate stood at 37.27% in 2021, a rise of +1.28pp from 2020. Afghanistan ranked 42nd globally.
Data & projection
| Year | Literacy Rate | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 37.27% | +1.28pp | #42 |
| 2020 | 35.99% | +2.24pp | #42 |
| 2015 | 33.75% | +2.30pp | #45 |
| 2011 | 31.45% | +13.29pp | #51 |
| 1979 | 18.16% | – | #6 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Afghanistan matched the Stagflation Risk pattern in 2022. Historically, 38% of countries showing this pattern (117 out of 307) saw literacy rate improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Afghanistan's literacy rate was 37.27% in 2021. Ranked 42nd globally. This represents a 3.6% increase from the previous year.
Afghanistan's literacy rate peaked at 37.27% in 2021.
The lowest literacy rate in Afghanistan was 18.16% in 1979.
Afghanistan ranks 42nd globally in literacy rate as of 2021.
The World Bank indicator code is SE.ADT.LITR.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
The literacy rate of Afghanistan in 2021 was 37.27%. This ranks 42nd in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_afghanistan_literacy-rate,
title = {Afghanistan Literacy Rate},
url = {https://historysaid.com/afghanistan/literacy-rate},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}