NEW DELHI: Mizoram (98.2%), Lakshadweep (97.3%), Kerala (95.3%), Tripura (93.7%) and Goa (93.6%) are the top five States/ UTs registering the highest overall literacy rates in India for persons aged seven years and above, according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2023-24.
The report, released by the National Sample Survey Office under the ministry of statistics and programme implementation, shows that India's overall literacy rate for this age group stood at 80.9%. For persons aged five years and above, the national literacy rate was 79.7%. The disaggregated literacy data across all states and Union Territories was based on nationally representative sampling.
The PLFS captures detailed literacy data across age groups (5+ and 7+), gender, and rural-urban categories for all states and Union Territories. For persons aged seven and above, male literacy at the national level was 87.2%, while female literacy stood at 74.6%. For the 5+ age group, male literacy was 85.6% and female literacy was 73.7%.
States with the lowest literacy rates in the age 7+ category were Bihar (74.3%), Madhya Pradesh (75.2%), and Rajasthan (75.8%). In the 5+ age group, Bihar again ranked lowest at 73.2%, followed by Madhya Pradesh (73.7%) and Rajasthan (74.9%).
Urban India continues to report higher literacy levels than rural areas. The national urban literacy rate was 88.9% for persons aged seven years and above, compared to 77.5% in rural areas. In states like Madhya Pradesh, the rural literacy rate was 71.6%, while the urban literacy rate stood at 85.7%, marking a gap of over 14 percentage points. Bihar reported a rural literacy rate of 72.1% and urban rate of 83.2%. Rajasthan showed a rural literacy rate of 72.5% and an urban literacy rate of 84.7%. These trends reflect similar urban-rural gaps across northern and central states.
The gender gap in literacy remains significant. Nationally, the gap for persons aged seven and above was 12.6 percentage points. Rajasthan had the highest gap at 20.1%, with male literacy at 85.9% and female literacy at 65.8%. In Bihar, the gap was 16.2% (males: 82.3%, females: 66.1%), while in Madhya Pradesh, the difference was 16.1% (males: 83.1%, females: 67.0%).
In rural areas, gender gaps tend to be wider. Rural Rajasthan had male literacy at 83.6% and female literacy at 61.8%. Rural Bihar reported 81.5% for males and 65% for females. Rural Madhya Pradesh recorded 80% literacy for males and 62.6% for females. In contrast, the gender gap in better-performing states was smaller. In Mizoram, male and female literacy rates were 99.2% and 97%, respectively. In Kerala, the rates were 96.7% for males and 94% for females.
The PLFS 2023-24 highlights that while overall literacy has improved, regional, gender, and rural-urban disparities remain substantial. These variations are more pronounced in states with large rural and tribal populations, where educational access and outcomes continue to lag behind national averages.
The report, released by the National Sample Survey Office under the ministry of statistics and programme implementation, shows that India's overall literacy rate for this age group stood at 80.9%. For persons aged five years and above, the national literacy rate was 79.7%. The disaggregated literacy data across all states and Union Territories was based on nationally representative sampling.
The PLFS captures detailed literacy data across age groups (5+ and 7+), gender, and rural-urban categories for all states and Union Territories. For persons aged seven and above, male literacy at the national level was 87.2%, while female literacy stood at 74.6%. For the 5+ age group, male literacy was 85.6% and female literacy was 73.7%.
States with the lowest literacy rates in the age 7+ category were Bihar (74.3%), Madhya Pradesh (75.2%), and Rajasthan (75.8%). In the 5+ age group, Bihar again ranked lowest at 73.2%, followed by Madhya Pradesh (73.7%) and Rajasthan (74.9%).
Urban India continues to report higher literacy levels than rural areas. The national urban literacy rate was 88.9% for persons aged seven years and above, compared to 77.5% in rural areas. In states like Madhya Pradesh, the rural literacy rate was 71.6%, while the urban literacy rate stood at 85.7%, marking a gap of over 14 percentage points. Bihar reported a rural literacy rate of 72.1% and urban rate of 83.2%. Rajasthan showed a rural literacy rate of 72.5% and an urban literacy rate of 84.7%. These trends reflect similar urban-rural gaps across northern and central states.
The gender gap in literacy remains significant. Nationally, the gap for persons aged seven and above was 12.6 percentage points. Rajasthan had the highest gap at 20.1%, with male literacy at 85.9% and female literacy at 65.8%. In Bihar, the gap was 16.2% (males: 82.3%, females: 66.1%), while in Madhya Pradesh, the difference was 16.1% (males: 83.1%, females: 67.0%).
In rural areas, gender gaps tend to be wider. Rural Rajasthan had male literacy at 83.6% and female literacy at 61.8%. Rural Bihar reported 81.5% for males and 65% for females. Rural Madhya Pradesh recorded 80% literacy for males and 62.6% for females. In contrast, the gender gap in better-performing states was smaller. In Mizoram, male and female literacy rates were 99.2% and 97%, respectively. In Kerala, the rates were 96.7% for males and 94% for females.
The PLFS 2023-24 highlights that while overall literacy has improved, regional, gender, and rural-urban disparities remain substantial. These variations are more pronounced in states with large rural and tribal populations, where educational access and outcomes continue to lag behind national averages.
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