Literacy rate in India has shown major signs of improvement with achievement of 74.04% in 2021. Details on state, and district wise literacy rate of India.
Literacy Rate in India
Literacy Rate of India 2021 - To know development in a society, Literacy is another proper indicator of economic development. For purpose of census, a person in age limit of seven and above, who can both write and read with understanding in any of the language is considered as a literate in India. Literacy plays a major role in the economic development of a nation. Although India has raised its current literacy rate of 74.04% (2021) from 12% at the time of Independence in 1947, its still lag behind the world average literacy rate of 84%. Compared with other nations, Republic of India has the largest illiterate population.
| India Literacy Rate (According to 2011 Census) | |
| Overall | 74.04% |
| Male | 82.14% |
| Female | 65.46% |
As per Population Census of India 2011, India literacy rate has shown improvement of almost 9.2 percent. It has gone up to 74.04% in 2011 from 65.38% in 2001, thus registering an increase of over 9 percent in the last 10 years. The nation also suffers from a wide gender disparity in literacy rate with a literacy rate of 82.14% for men and 65.46% for women. Kerala with 93.91% literacy rate is the top state in India. Lakshadweep and Mizoram are at second and third position with 92.28% and 91.58% literacy rate respectively. Bihar with 63.08% literacy rate is the last in terms of literacy rate in India. Majority of states in India has shown majors signs of improvement in their overall illiteracy rate thus contributing towards a literate nation.
Highest Literacy Rate in India
The southern state of Kerala has the highest literacy rate of 93.91% in India.
Lowest Literacy Rate in India
Bihar with a literacy rate of 63.82% has the lowest literacy rate in India.
Highest Literacy Rate in Union Territory
Lakshadweep with a literacy rate of 91.85% is the most literate UT in India.
Lowest Literacy Rate in Union Territory
Jammu and Kashmir with a literacy rate of 68.74% is the least literate UT in India.
Government of India has taken several measures to improve the literacy rate in villages and towns of India. State Governments has been directed to ensure and improve literacy rate in districts and villages where people are very poor. There has been a good improvement in literacy rate of India in last 10 years but there is still a long way to go. Going by previous growth rate, India will be able to achieve its universal literate target not before 2060.
List of Steps taken by Government of India to improve Literacy Rate in India:
- Free education programs to poor people living in villages and towns.
- Setting up of new schools and colleges at district and state levels.
- Several committees have been formed to ensure proper utilization of funds allotted to improve literacy rate.
- Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao is the latest initiative taken by Government of India to save and educate the girl child in India.
- State literacy campaigns are launched at several times to conduct door to door survey to examine overall illiteracy scenario in the districts.
Literacy Rate of India State Wise |
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| S.No | State | Literacy Rate (2011 Census) |
Male Literacy
Rate (2011 Census) |
Female
Literacy Rate (2011 Census) |
| 1 | Andaman & Nicobar Islands | 86.3% | 90.1% | 81.8% |
| 2 | Andhra Pradesh | 67.7% | 75.6% | 59.7% |
| 3 | Arunachal Pradesh | 67.0% | 73.7% | 59.6% |
| 4 | Assam | 73.2% | 78.8% | 67.3% |
| 5 | Bihar | 63.8% | 73.5% | 53.3% |
| 6 | Chandigarh | 86.4% | 90.5% | 81.4% |
| 7 | Chattisgarh | 71.0% | 81.5% | 60.6% |
| 8 | Dadra & Nagar Haveli | 77.7% | 86.5% | 65.9% |
| 9 | Daman & Diu | 87.1% | 91.5% | 79.6% |
| 10 | Delhi | 86.3% | 91.0% | 80.9% |
| 11 | Goa | 87.4% | 92.8% | 81.8% |
| 12 | Gujarat | 79.3% | 87.2% | 70.7% |
| 13 | Haryana | 76.6% | 85.4% | 66.8% |
| 14 | Himachal Pradesh | 83.8% | 90.8% | 76.6% |
| 15 | Jammu and Kashmir | 68.7% | 78.3% | 58.0% |
| 16 | Jharkhand | 67.6% | 78.5% | 56.2% |
| 17 | Karnataka | 75.6% | 82.8% | 68.1% |
| 18 | Kerala | 93.9% | 96.0% | 92.0% |
| 19 | Lakshadweep | 92.3% | 96.1% | 88.2% |
| 20 | Madhya Pradesh | 70.6% | 80.5% | 60.0% |
| 21 | Maharashtra | 82.9% | 89.8% | 75.5% |
| 22 | Manipur | 79.8% | 86.5% | 73.2% |
| 23 | Meghalaya | 75.5% | 77.2% | 73.8% |
| 24 | Mizoram | 91.6% | 93.7% | 89.4% |
| 25 | Nagaland | 80.1% | 83.3% | 76.7% |
| 26 | Orissa | 73.5% | 82.4% | 64.4% |
| 27 | Puducherry | 86.5% | 92.1% | 81.2% |
| 28 | Punjab | 76.7% | 81.5% | 71.3% |
| 29 | Rajasthan | 67.1% | 80.5% | 52.7% |
| 30 | Sikkim | 82.2% | 87.3% | 76.4% |
| 31 | Tamil Nadu | 80.3% | 86.8% | 73.9% |
| 32 | Tripura | 87.8% | 92.2% | 83.1% |
| 33 | Uttar Pradesh | 69.7% | 79.2% | 59.3% |
| 34 | Uttarakhand | 79.6% | 88.3% | 70.7% |
| 35 | West Bengal | 77.1% | 82.7% | 71.2% |
| - | INDIA | 74.04% | 82.14% | 65.46% |