Indian States by Literacy Rate 2021 | Literacy Rate of India
Literary Rate of India 2021
According to the Census 2011, as many as 763,498,517 persons in the country are literate. Of these 434,683,779 are males and 328,814,738 are females. While the overall literacy rate works out to be 72.9 %, the male literacy rate is 80.89% and that for females is 64.64%, showing a gap of 16.25 percentage points between the sexes at the national level.
According to National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) 2019-21 male literacy at India level in 2021 stands at 84.4% & female literacy stands at 71.5%
As per the National Statistical Office (NSO) data for 2017-18 on state-wise literacy rate in the country, India’s average literacy rate is 77.7%.
| # | Literate Population 2011 | Literacy Rate 2011 | Estimated Literacy Rate 2021 |
| Persons | 763,498,517 | 72.99% | 77.70% |
| Males | 434,683,779 | 80.89% | 84.70% |
| Females | 328,814,738 | 64.64% | 70.30% |
Source: Census 2011 & National Statistical Office (NSO) data
Literacy rate: Literacy rate is defined as the percentage of literate persons of age 7 years and above. A person who can read and write a simple message in any language with understanding is considered literate.
List of States & Union Territories by Literary Rate 2021
According to National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) 2019-21 male literacy at India level in 2021 stands at 84.4% & female literacy stands at 71.5%.
Male Female gap at the all-India level is 12.9 percentage 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 percentage points.
Andhra Pradesh’s literacy rate of 66.4% is the lowest among all states in India, Kerala ranked highest in the list with 96.2%. Delhi stood second with 88.7%. Below is the list of States & Union territories with literacy rates
| States & Union Territories | Male Literacy Rate % |
Female Literacy Rate % |
Average Literacy Rate % |
| A&N islands | 90.11 | 81.84 | 86.27 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 73.4 | 59.5 | 66.4 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 73.69 | 59.57 | 66.95 |
| Assam | 90.1 | 81.2 | 85.9 |
| Bihar | 79.7 | 60.5 | 70.9 |
| Chhattisgarh | 85.4 | 68.7 | 77.3 |
| Chandigarh | 90.54 | 81.38 | 86.43 |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli | 86.46 | 65.93 | 77.65 |
| Daman & Diu | 91.48 | 79.59 | 87.07 |
| Delhi | 93.7 | 82.4 | 88.7 |
| Goa | 92.81 | 81.84 | 87.4 |
| Gujarat | 89.5 | 74.8 | 82.4 |
| Haryana | 88 | 71.3 | 80.4 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 92.9 | 80.5 | 86.6 |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 85.7 | 68 | 77.3 |
| Jharkhand | 83 | 64.7 | 74.3 |
| Karnataka | 83.4 | 70.5 | 77.2 |
| Kerala | 97.4 | 95.2 | 96.2 |
| Lakshadweep | 96.11 | 88.25 | 92.28 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 81.2 | 65.5 | 73.7 |
| Maharashtra | 90.7 | 78.4 | 84.8 |
| Manipur | 86.49 | 73.17 | 79.85 |
| Meghalaya | 77.17 | 73.78 | 75.48 |
| Mizoram | 93.72 | 89.4 | 91.58 |
| Nagaland | 83.29 | 76.69 | 80.11 |
| Odisha | 84 | 70.3 | 77.3 |
| Puducherry | 92.12 | 81.22 | 86.55 |
| Punjab | 88.5 | 78.5 | 83.7 |
| Rajasthan | 80.8 | 57.6 | 69.7 |
| Sikkim | 87.29 | 76.43 | 82.2 |
| Tamil Nadu | 87.9 | 77.9 | 82.9 |
| Telangana | 80.5 | 65.1 | 72.8 |
| Tripura | 92.18 | 83.15 | 87.75 |
| Uttarakhand | 94.3 | 80.7 | 87.6 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 81.8 | 63.4 | 73.0 |
| West Bengal | 84.8 | 76.1 | 80.5 |
| All-India | 84.7 | 70.3 | 77.7 |
Source: Survey by National Statistical Office (NSO). *UTs & NE States based on 2011 Census
Indian States with Highest Literacy Rate
As per the National Statistical Office (NSO) data for 2017-18 on state-wise literacy rate in the country Kerala ranked highest in the list with 96.2%. Delhi stood second with 88.7%.
States with Highest Literacy Rate
| # | State | Male | Female | Average |
| 1 | Kerala | 97.4 | 95.2 | 96.2 |
| 2 | Mizoram | 93.72 | 89.4 | 91.58 |
| 3 | Delhi | 93.7 | 82.4 | 88.7 |
| 4 | Tripura | 92.18 | 83.15 | 87.75 |
| 5 | Uttarakhand | 94.3 | 80.7 | 87.6 |
| 6 | Goa | 92.81 | 81.84 | 87.4 |
| 7 | Himachal Pradesh | 92.9 | 80.5 | 86.6 |
| 8 | Assam | 90.1 | 81.2 | 85.9 |
| 9 | Maharashtra | 90.7 | 78.4 | 84.8 |
| 10 | Punjab | 88.5 | 78.5 | 83.7 |
Source: survey by National Statistical Office (NSO). *UTs & NE States based on 2011 Census
Indian States with Lowest Literacy Rate
As per the National Statistical Office (NSO) data for 2017-18 on state-wise literacy rate the country, Andhra Pradesh ranked Lowest in the list with 66.2% followed by Rajasthan & Bihar.
States with Lowest Literacy Rate
| # | State | Male | Female | Average |
| 1 | Andhra Pradesh | 73.4 | 59.5 | 66.4 |
| 2 | Rajasthan | 80.8 | 57.6 | 69.7 |
| 3 | Bihar | 79.7 | 60.5 | 70.9 |
| 4 | Telangana | 80.5 | 65.1 | 72.8 |
| 5 | Uttar Pradesh | 81.8 | 63.4 | 73.0 |
| 6 | Madhya Pradesh | 81.2 | 65.5 | 73.7 |
| 7 | Jharkhand | 83 | 64.7 | 74.3 |
| 8 | Karnataka | 83.4 | 70.5 | 77.2 |
| 9 | Chhattisgarh | 85.4 | 68.7 | 77.3 |
| 10 | Jammu & Kashmir | 85.7 | 68 | 77.3 |
Source: survey by National Statistical Office (NSO). *UTs & NE States based on 2011 Census
Literary Rate Urban Vs Rural 20
The literacy rate among persons (aged 7 years and above) in India was about 77.7%. In rural areas, literacy rate was 73.5% compared to 87.7% in urban areas.
| States | Rural Literacy Rate | Urban Literacy Rate | ||||
| Male | Female | Average | Male | Female | Average | |
| Andhra Pradesh | 67.5 | 53.4 | 60.4 | 86.3 | 73.1 | 79.6 |
| Assam | 89.4 | 79.9 | 84.9 | 96.1 | 91.4 | 93.8 |
| Bihar | 78.6 | 58.7 | 69.5 | 89.3 | 75.9 | 83.1 |
| Chhattisgarh | 84 | 65.6 | 75 | 91.8 | 82.3 | 87.2 |
| Delhi | 94.1 | 83.4 | 89.4 | |||
| Gujarat | 85.7 | 68 | 77 | 95.2 | 86.3 | 91.1 |
| Haryana | 85.8 | 66.4 | 77 | 92.5 | 81.2 | 87.3 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 92.3 | 79.2 | 85.6 | 97.8 | 93 | 95.5 |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 84.9 | 66 | 75.8 | 88.5 | 75.7 | 82.6 |
| Jharkhand | 80.6 | 61.4 | 71.4 | 92.6 | 78.6 | 86.1 |
| Karnataka | 78.2 | 63.1 | 71 | 92.5 | 83.7 | 88.3 |
| Kerala | 96.7 | 94.1 | 95.4 | 98.2 | 96.4 | 97.3 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 77.9 | 61 | 69.8 | 91.4 | 79.5 | 85.8 |
| Maharashtra | 87 | 71.4 | 79.4 | 95.3 | 87.6 | 91.7 |
| Odisha | 82 | 67.3 | 74.9 | 94.4 | 85.9 | 90.2 |
| Punjab | 85.5 | 74 | 80 | 93.8 | 86.7 | 90.5 |
| Rajasthan | 77.6 | 52.6 | 65.5 | 91.1 | 74.6 | 83.5 |
| Tamil Nadu | 84.2 | 70.8 | 77.5 | 92.3 | 85.9 | 89 |
| Telangana | 70.6 | 53.7 | 62.1 | 91.7 | 79 | 85.5 |
| Uttarakhand | 93.1 | 79 | 86.1 | 97.4 | 85.9 | 92 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 80.5 | 60.4 | 70.8 | 86.8 | 74.9 | 81.2 |
| West Bengal | 82 | 72.6 | 77.4 | 91.4 | 84.7 | 88.1 |
| All-India | 81.5 | 65 | 73.5 | 92.2 | 82.8 | 87.7 |
Source: survey by National Statistical Office (NSO)
Completed educational level of population for different age-groups
Percentage distribution of rural persons ( ages 15 years & above by highest completed levels of education)
- 31.5% were not literate,
- 20.9% were literates up to primary
- 17.2% were of level upper primary/middle,
- 24.9% were of levels secondary and higher secondary
- 5.7% were graduates & above.
Percentage distribution of urban persons (age 15 years & above by highest completed level of education)
- 13.9% were not literate,
- 14.7% were literates up to primary,
- 14.0% were of level upper primary/middle,
- 35.8% were of level secondary and higher secondary
- 21.7% were graduate& above
