Literary Rate in India
The literacy rate is defined as the percentage of literate persons aged 7 years and above in a given population. A person is considered literate if they can read and write a simple message in any language with understanding. Literacy rates are crucial indicators of educational development and are often used to assess the effectiveness of educational systems and policies. High literacy rates are associated with numerous positive outcomes, including improved economic opportunities, better health, and increased civic participation. Conversely, low literacy rates can hinder personal and societal progress, limiting access to information and resources necessary for individuals to thrive.
Based on data from the National Statistical Office (NSO), India’s average literacy rate as of 2021 is 77.70%. At the national level, the literacy rate for males is 84.70%, while for females it is 70.30%.
| # | Literacy Rate 2021 |
| Persons | 77.70% |
| Males | 84.70% |
| Females | 70.30% |
According to the National Family Health Survey 2019-21 (NFHS-5), adult women (aged 15-49) have a literacy rate of 71.5%, while adult men (aged 15-49) have a literacy rate of 87.4%.
Source: Census 2011, National Statistical Office (NSO) & National Family health Survey (NFHS-5)
Indian State by Literacy Rate
Kerala at 96.2% is the state with the Highest Literacy rate and Andhra Pradesh’s literacy rate of 66.4% is the lowest among all states in India. The Male-Female gap at the all-India level is 12.9 % points with male literacy at 84.7% and female literacy at 70.3%. The gap between male and female literacy is the smallest in Kerala at just 2.2 % points and highest in Rajasthan at 23.3 %.
Below is the list of States & Union Territories with literacy rates.
| # | States and Uts | Literacy Rate % |
| 1 | Kerala | 96.2 |
| 2 | Lakshadweep | 92.28 |
| 3 | Mizoram | 91.58 |
| 4 | Delhi | 88.7 |
| 5 | Tripura | 87.75 |
| 6 | Uttarakhand | 87.6 |
| 7 | Goa | 87.4 |
| 8 | Daman & Diu | 87.07 |
| 9 | Himachal Pradesh | 86.6 |
| 10 | Puducherry | 86.55 |
| 11 | Chandigarh | 86.43 |
| 12 | A&N islands | 86.27 |
| 13 | Assam | 85.9 |
| 14 | Maharashtra | 84.8 |
| 15 | Punjab | 83.7 |
| 16 | Tamil Nadu | 82.9 |
| 17 | Gujarat | 82.4 |
| 18 | Sikkim | 82.2 |
| 19 | West Bengal | 80.5 |
| 20 | Haryana | 80.4 |
| 21 | Nagaland | 80.11 |
| 22 | Manipur | 79.85 |
| 23 | All-India | 77.7 |
| 24 | Dadra and Nagar Haveli | 77.65 |
| 25 | Chhattisgarh | 77.3 |
| 26 | Jammu & Kashmir | 77.3 |
| 27 | Odisha | 77.3 |
| 28 | Karnataka | 77.2 |
| 29 | Meghalaya | 75.48 |
| 30 | Jharkhand | 74.3 |
| 31 | Madhya Pradesh | 73.7 |
| 32 | Uttar Pradesh | 73 |
| 33 | Telangana | 72.8 |
| 34 | Bihar | 70.9 |
| 35 | Rajasthan | 69.7 |
| 36 | Arunachal Pradesh | 66.95 |
| 37 | Andhra Pradesh | 66.4 |
Source: Survey by National Statistical Office (NSO).
*UTs & NE States based on 2011 Census