12 answers, 6 from Bangladesh's own official bodies, with a link to each figure.
Bangladesh's literacy rate for people aged 7 and over was 75.6% in 2023, 78.6% for men and 72.8% for women, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics Sample Vital Statistics as cited in Bangladesh Education Statistics 2025 by BANBEIS. For people aged 15 and over it was 78.81%.
Literacy in these surveys is self-reported ability to read and write a simple letter, not a tested skill. Different surveys give different figures: the Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2022 found 74.0% for ages 7 and over. Check the age group and source before comparing.
Bangladesh had 174 universities in 2025, 56 of them public, with 1,113,982 students and 34,831 teachers, according to Bangladesh Education Statistics 2025 from BANBEIS. Women made up 39.34% of university students.
The count covers universities approved by the University Grants Commission; most are private. Many more students take degrees at affiliated colleges under the National University, which are counted separately as college education (4,184,465 students). Tertiary gross enrolment was 19.80%.
68.04% of candidates passed the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination in 2025, out of 1,479,310 who sat it, according to Bangladesh Education Statistics 2025 from BANBEIS. Girls passed at a rate of 70.67%, and the science group at 85.68%.
The SSC is the national exam at the end of class 10, set by the education boards. Pass rates move with exam difficulty and marking policy as well as with learning, so year-to-year changes need care. BANBEIS compiles the results from the boards; results for individual students are published by the education boards.
57.12% of candidates passed the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination in 2025: 598,166 of 1,047,242, according to Bangladesh Education Statistics 2025 from BANBEIS. Girls passed at 61.45%.
The HSC is taken at the end of class 12 and is the main route into university. Madrasah students take the parallel Alim exam, which had a pass rate of 75.61% in 2025. As with the SSC, pass rates depend on the exam and marking, so they are not a direct measure of learning.
The dropout rate at secondary level in Bangladesh was 14.00% in 2025, according to Bangladesh Education Statistics 2025 from BANBEIS. Net enrolment in secondary education was 65.10% and gross enrolment 70.22%.
Primary net enrolment was 94.55% in 2024, so most children start school but many leave before finishing secondary level. The dropout rate is calculated from enrolment and repetition in the annual institution survey; BANBEIS says the number of out-of-school children has been falling.
118,607 institutions provided primary education in Bangladesh in 2024, 65,567 of them government primary schools, and there were 19,211 secondary schools and 9,296 madrasahs in 2025, according to Bangladesh Education Statistics 2025 from BANBEIS. Secondary schools had 7,439,039 students.
About 94% of secondary institutions are privately managed, many with government salary support. Primary figures come from the Directorate of Primary Education's annual census and post-primary figures from BANBEIS's own survey, so they refer to different years. The system served about 38.91 million students in 2024.
The figures below use one definition for every country, so they can differ from national figures.
The UNESCO Institute for Statistics puts gross secondary school enrolment in Bangladesh at 64.3% in 2024. Its high point since 2005 was 2022, at 67.0%; its low point was 2008, at 44.6%. Worldwide: 86th of 100.
According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, gross tertiary enrolment in Bangladesh was 23.7% in 2024. Its high point since 2005 was 2023, at 24.2%; its low point was 2005, at 6.1%. World rank, highest first: 67th of 90.
In 2022, the adult literacy rate in Bangladesh was 79.0%, according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. That is the highest since at least 2011. Of 44 countries with 2022 data, 31st highest.
2.0% of GDP: that is government spending on education in Bangladesh for 2024, according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Since 2006 it has ranged from 1.1% of GDP (2019) to 2.2% of GDP (2007). Worldwide: 35th of 36.
According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, the number of primary pupils per teacher in Bangladesh was 30 in 2018. Its high point since 2005 was 2006, at 48; its low point was 2017, at 30. World rank, highest first: 22nd of 85.
The UNESCO Institute for Statistics puts the primary completion rate in Bangladesh at 94.3% in 2024. Its high point since 2005 was 2021, at 109.9%; its low point was 2008, at 55.1%. It is 3rd highest of 5 in South Asia, where the median is 94.3%. World rank, highest first: 58th of 104.
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