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DataNepalतथ्याङ्क नेपाल

Indicator

Literacy rate

साक्षरता दर

Share of the population aged 5 and over who can read and write. The denominator is the 5-plus population, not the total population.

Latest value
76.2%
2021
Unit
Percent
Aggregation
Not additive
Summing or unweighted averaging this across places gives a wrong answer.

How it varies by province

2021. This is a rate: province values do not sum to the national figure.

View all 7 provinces
Literacy rate by province, 2021
ProvinceनेपालीLiteracy rate
Bagmatiबागमती प्रदेश82.1%
Gandakiगण्डकी प्रदेश81.7%
Koshiकोशी प्रदेश79.7%
Lumbiniलुम्बिनी प्रदेश78.1%
Sudur Paschimसुदूरपश्चिम प्रदेश76.2%
Karnaliकर्णाली प्रदेश76.1%
Madheshमधेश प्रदेश63.5%

How it varies by district

Every district, 2021. Select a district to open it.

Taplejung — 82.2%Panchthar — 82.3%Ilam — 83.4%Jhapa — 82.8%Morang — 78.6%Sunsari — 78.1%Dhankuta — 81.4%Terhathum — 81.9%Sankhuwasabha — 79.7%Bhojpur — 78.9%Solukhumbu — 76.9%Khotang — 76.0%Okhaldhunga — 73.9%Udayapur — 77.2%Saptari — 67.7%Siraha — 65.1%Dhanusa — 65.2%Mahottari — 59.8%Sarlahi — 60.3%Rautahat — 57.8%Bara — 64.5%Parsa — 69.1%Sindhuli — 72.6%Ramechhap — 68.1%Dolakha — 72.3%Sindhupalchok — 68.0%Kavrepalanchok — 75.7%Lalitpur — 88.1%Bhaktapur — 88.0%Kathmandu — 89.2%Nuwakot — 69.1%Rasuwa — 69.6%Dhading — 72.4%Makwanpur — 77.8%Chitawan — 83.7%Gorkha — 72.4%Lamjung — 77.5%Manang — 78.4%Kaski — 87.7%Tanahu — 81.6%Syangja — 81.7%Parbat — 80.1%Baglung — 80.0%Myagdi — 79.7%Mustang — 75.1%Nawalparasi East — 82.4%Palpa — 83.7%Nawalparasi West — 78.0%Rupandehi — 81.2%Kapilbastu — 71.8%Arghakhanchi — 80.0%Gulmi — 80.3%Rukum East — 71.4%Rolpa — 75.6%Pyuthan — 80.1%Dang — 81.4%Banke — 73.4%Bardiya — 76.9%Rukum West — 75.7%Salyan — 77.3%Surkhet — 82.7%Jajarkot — 75.5%Dailekh — 75.5%Dolpa — 67.0%Jumla — 70.2%Kalikot — 72.7%Mugu — 68.1%Humla — 63.8%Bajhang — 70.5%Bajura — 71.2%Achham — 72.6%Doti — 70.7%Kailali — 77.6%Kanchanpur — 79.6%Dadeldhura — 78.2%Baitadi — 76.8%Darchula — 77.8%
57.8%70.2%75.5%78.1%81.4%89.2%

Hover or focus a district for its value.

Literacy rate · not additive across places · five classes, each holding about 15 of 77 districts.

View all 77 districts
Literacy rate for all 77 districts on the map, as exact values
AreaLiteracy rate
Kathmandu89.2%
Lalitpur88.1%
Bhaktapur88.0%
Kaski87.7%
Chitawan83.7%
Palpa83.7%
Ilam83.4%
Jhapa82.8%
Surkhet82.7%
Nawalparasi East82.4%
Panchthar82.3%
Taplejung82.2%
Terhathum81.9%
Syangja81.7%
Tanahu81.6%
Dang81.4%
Dhankuta81.4%
Rupandehi81.2%
Gulmi80.3%
Pyuthan80.1%
Parbat80.1%
Arghakhanchi80.0%
Baglung80.0%
Sankhuwasabha79.7%
Myagdi79.7%
Kanchanpur79.6%
Bhojpur78.9%
Morang78.6%
Manang78.4%
Dadeldhura78.2%
Sunsari78.1%
Nawalparasi West78.0%
Makwanpur77.8%
Darchula77.8%
Kailali77.6%
Lamjung77.5%
Salyan77.3%
Udayapur77.2%
Solukhumbu76.9%
Bardiya76.9%
Baitadi76.8%
Khotang76.0%
Rukum West75.7%
Kavrepalanchok75.7%
Rolpa75.6%
Dailekh75.5%
Jajarkot75.5%
Mustang75.1%
Okhaldhunga73.9%
Banke73.4%
Kalikot72.7%
Achham72.6%
Sindhuli72.6%
Dhading72.4%
Gorkha72.4%
Dolakha72.3%
Kapilbastu71.8%
Rukum East71.4%
Bajura71.2%
Doti70.7%
Bajhang70.5%
Jumla70.2%
Rasuwa69.6%
Parsa69.1%
Nuwakot69.1%
Ramechhap68.1%
Mugu68.1%
Sindhupalchok68.0%
Saptari67.7%
Dolpa67.0%
Dhanusa65.2%
Siraha65.1%
Bara64.5%
Humla63.8%
Sarlahi60.3%
Mahottari59.8%
Rautahat57.8%

Highest and lowest

Literacy rate: the five highest and five lowest districts
Kathmandu89.2%
Lalitpur88.1%
Bhaktapur88.0%
Kaski87.7%
Chitawan83.7%
⋯
Bara64.5%
Humla63.8%
Sarlahi60.3%
Mahottari59.8%
Rautahat57.8%

77 districts, from 57.8% to 89.2%.

View all 77 districts
Literacy rate for all 77 districts, 2021
DistrictLiteracy rate
Kathmandu89.2%
Lalitpur88.1%
Bhaktapur88.0%
Kaski87.7%
Chitawan83.7%
Palpa83.7%
Ilam83.4%
Jhapa82.8%
Surkhet82.7%
Nawalparasi East82.4%
Panchthar82.3%
Taplejung82.2%
Terhathum81.9%
Syangja81.7%
Tanahu81.6%
Dang81.4%
Dhankuta81.4%
Rupandehi81.2%
Gulmi80.3%
Pyuthan80.1%
Parbat80.1%
Arghakhanchi80.0%
Baglung80.0%
Sankhuwasabha79.7%
Myagdi79.7%
Kanchanpur79.6%
Bhojpur78.9%
Morang78.6%
Manang78.4%
Dadeldhura78.2%
Sunsari78.1%
Nawalparasi West78.0%
Makwanpur77.8%
Darchula77.8%
Kailali77.6%
Lamjung77.5%
Salyan77.3%
Udayapur77.2%
Solukhumbu76.9%
Bardiya76.9%
Baitadi76.8%
Khotang76.0%
Rukum West75.7%
Kavrepalanchok75.7%
Rolpa75.6%
Dailekh75.5%
Jajarkot75.5%
Mustang75.1%
Okhaldhunga73.9%
Banke73.4%
Kalikot72.7%
Achham72.6%
Sindhuli72.6%
Dhading72.4%
Gorkha72.4%
Dolakha72.3%
Kapilbastu71.8%
Rukum East71.4%
Bajura71.2%
Doti70.7%
Bajhang70.5%
Jumla70.2%
Rasuwa69.6%
Parsa69.1%
Nuwakot69.1%
Ramechhap68.1%
Mugu68.1%
Sindhupalchok68.0%
Saptari67.7%
Dolpa67.0%
Dhanusa65.2%
Siraha65.1%
Bara64.5%
Humla63.8%
Sarlahi60.3%
Mahottari59.8%
Rautahat57.8%

Notes on interpretation

A rate. Never sum or unweighted-average across places; recompute from the counts.

Related indicators

In Education.

Sources & methodology

United Nations Population Fund (2023) · Election Commission Nepal (2026) · National Statistics Office (2021) · World Bank (1960-2024)

Reusable under CC BY-IGO 3.0 and gov-open and nso-official-statistics and CC BY 4.0 with attribution. Retrieved 2026-08-24. Full metadata, caveats and revision history →

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