UAE achieves 99.6% literacy rate among youth, tops global ranking

Dubai: The UAE has recorded a 99.6 percent literacy rate among individuals aged 15 to 24, placing it first globally in youth literacy, according to the Unified UAE Numbers Report released during the UAE Government Annual Meetings 2025.

The achievement, highlighted in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2025 Index published by the UN’s Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), deomnstrates the UAE’s success in investing in education and knowledge as foundations of sustainable development.

The report also revealed that the average years of schooling in the UAE reached 13.36 years in 2024, thanks to the country’s robust educational system and its continuous efforts to enhance curricula and academic programs.

Education, the report noted, remains a cornerstone of the UAE’s long-term development vision and a key driver of its transition toward a knowledge-based economy. 

The country continues to modernise its education system, ensuring alignment with international standards while equipping future generations with the skills needed for tomorrow’s workforce.

The UAE’s comprehensive education strategy includes strengthening primary and secondary education, fostering effective learning environments, and advancing higher education and research. Its universities have become centers of academic and scientific excellence, attracting distinguished scholars and researchers from around the world.

These institutions, the report added, are preparing students to meet future challenges through innovative programs designed to meet evolving labor market demands, reinforcing the UAE’s position as a regional and global leader in education and human capital development.