Literate and illiterate world population in Bahrain

Bahrain: Literate and illiterate world population was 2.2% in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
2.2%
Change on year
up 1.4%
World rank
98th
of 128 countries
All-time high
87.5%
in 1950
All-time low
2.1%
in 2022
Years of data
7
1950–2024

Literate and illiterate world population in Bahrain, 1950–2024

0204060801950198720241950: 87.5 %1981: 30.2 %1991: 16 %2001: 13.4 %2022: 2.1 %2023: 2.1 %2024: 2.2 %

Source: UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Bahrain recorded 2.2% for literate and illiterate world population in 2024.

That represents a change of up 1.4% on the previous year.

Over the whole period, literate and illiterate world population in Bahrain peaked at 87.5% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 2.1%, in 2022.

That places Bahrain 98th out of 128 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Literate and illiterate world population in Bahrain, year by year

Annual values for Literate and illiterate world population in Bahrain, 1950 to 2024.
Year % Change
1950 87.5%
1981 30.2% -65.4%
1991 16.0% -47.1%
2001 13.4% -15.9%
2022 2.1% -84.2%
2023 2.1% +0.9%
2024 2.2% +1.4%

Bahrain compared with similar countries

  • Bahrain's 2.2% is above the median for high income countries, which is 2.2%, 1.0× the median. (33 countries reporting)
  • Bahrain's 2.2% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 6.7%, 33% of the median. (19 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 87.5% 87.5% 87.5% 1
1980s 30.2% 30.2% 30.2% 1
1990s 16.0% 16.0% 16.0% 1
2000s 13.4% 13.4% 13.4% 1
2020s 2.2% 2.1% 2.2% 3

Countries ranked near Bahrain

  1. 95 Cuba 2.4% compare
  2. 95 Singapore 2.4% compare
  3. 97 Albania 2.3% compare
  4. 99 Saudi Arabia 2.1% compare
  5. 100 Palestine 2.1% compare
  6. 101 Samoa 2.0% compare

See the full ranking of 128 places →

More population data for Bahrain

All data for Bahrain →

Frequently asked questions

What is literate and illiterate world population in Bahrain?
Literate and illiterate world population in Bahrain was 2.2% in 2024, according to UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest literate and illiterate world population recorded in Bahrain?
The highest recorded value was 87.5% in 1950.
What is the lowest literate and illiterate world population recorded in Bahrain?
The lowest recorded value was 2.1% in 2022.
How does Bahrain rank for literate and illiterate world population?
Bahrain ranks 98th out of 128 countries with data for 2024.
Where does this Bahrain data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Literate and illiterate world population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Literate and illiterate world population in Bahrain. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/literate-and-illiterate-world-population/bahrain/

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About this data

Indicator
Literate and illiterate world population
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
128 places, 1,272 data points, 1475–2024
Last refreshed

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