Afghanistan Youth Literacy Rate
Literacy rate among youth ages 15-24 SE.ADT.1524.LT.ZS
Afghanistan's youth literacy rate was 62.78% in 2025, ranked 65th globally. This represents a 0.2% increase from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1979–2025.
Overview
Afghanistan's youth literacy rate stood at 62.78% in 2025, a rise of +0.12pp from 2022. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 62.78% by 2025. Afghanistan ranked 65th globally.
Afghanistan's youth literacy rate has shown a notable increase from 30.07% in 1979 to 62.78% in 2025, with the latter being both the latest and all-time peak value. This places Afghanistan at 65th globally, closely trailing behind peer countries such as Niger, which has a youth literacy rate of 61.62%, and lagging further behind countries like Senegal and Benin, which have rates of 71.84% and 71.79%, respectively. The significant improvement over the years indicates efforts towards education, although the country still faces challenges. As of 2025, Afghanistan's youth literacy rate of 62.78% signifies progress, yet it remains lower than many of its peers, including Burkina Faso at 66.00%. Moving forward, sustained investment in education infrastructure and policies supporting literacy programs would be crucial to altering the trajectory of Afghanistan's youth literacy trend.
Data & projection
| Year | Youth Literacy Rate | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025* trend | 62.78% | - | - |
| 2025 | 62.78% | +0.12pp | #65 |
| 2022 | 62.66% | +6.73pp | #57 |
| 2021 | 55.93% | +1.96pp | #47 |
| 2020 | 53.97% | +18.15pp | #42 |
| 2015 | 35.82% | −11.17pp | #47 |
| 2011 | 46.99% | +16.92pp | #53 |
| 1979 | 30.07% | – | #6 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Afghanistan matched the Stagflation Risk pattern in 2022. Historically, 38% of countries showing this pattern (117 out of 307) saw youth literacy rate improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Afghanistan's youth literacy rate was 62.78% in 2025. Ranked 65th globally. This represents a 0.2% increase from the previous year.
Afghanistan's youth literacy rate peaked at 62.78% in 2025.
The lowest youth literacy rate in Afghanistan was 30.07% in 1979.
Afghanistan ranks 65th globally in youth literacy rate as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SE.ADT.1524.LT.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
Afghanistan's youth literacy rate is projected to reach 62.78% by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
The youth literacy rate of Afghanistan in 2025 was 62.78%. This ranks 65th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_afghanistan_youth-literacy-rate,
title = {Afghanistan Youth Literacy Rate},
url = {https://historysaid.com/afghanistan/youth-literacy-rate/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}