When you line up all of India’s states and Union Territories by literacy, a few surprises pop out, especially among smaller and northeastern regions.

Data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2023-24 report, released by the National Sample Survey Office under the ministry of statistics and programme implementation, shows the nation’s overall literacy rate (age seven and above) at 80.9%, while for those aged five and up, it’s 79.7%.

Yet this headline figure hides a big spread.

Mizoram stuns with 98.2%, and tiny Lakshadweep isn’t far behind at 97.3%. On the other end of the spectrum, Andhra Pradesh’s rural challenges drag its combined rate down to 72.6%, the lowest among all States/Uts.

The Northeast shines bright, with several states in the top five.

The PLFS 2023-24 results are the primary source of data on employment and unemployment situation in India. The report also provides a go-to snapshot of literacy across India, broken down by age (both 5+ and 7+), gender and rural or urban home.

For those aged seven and above, male literacy hits 87.2% nationally, while female literacy is 74.6%, leaving a 12.6-point gap between men and women. Among five-year-olds and up, male literacy is 85.6% and female is 73.7%.

TOP FIVE: TINY TERRITORIES ON A BIG BUMP

In the “who’s who” of the best performers (for ages 7+, rural-urban and genders combined):

1. Mizoram (98.2%): The state’s push on rural outreach shows in these near-perfect scores.
2. Lakshadweep (97.3%): Island life and focused education schemes have paid off.
3. Nagaland (97.2%): The state’s tribal schools and community support shine through.
4. Kerala (95.3%): Generations of prioritising education help it stay in the top group.
5. Meghalaya (94.2%): Community-driven schooling and strong local involvement uplift even remote hamlets.

Just behind are Tripura and Chandigarh, both at 93.7% literacy, followed by Goa (93.6%), Puducherry (92.7%), and Manipur (92.0%).

But those top five spots clearly show how focused local policies can translate to nearly universal adult literacy.

BOTTOM FIVE: LARGER STATES FEEL THE STRAIN

On the flip side, these five states face steeper climbs (for ages 7+, rural-urban and genders combined):

1. Andhra Pradesh (72.6%): Rural areas pull down a state that hopes to boost its adult reading and writing programmes.
2. Bihar (74.3%): Both rural and urban pockets need sharpening, especially among women.
3. Madhya Pradesh (75.2%): Central India’s biggest state edges just above the national mark, but gaps remain in rural female literacy.
4. Rajasthan (75.8%): Deep-rooted gender disparities and patchy rural access continue to hold back progress.
5. Jharkhand (76.7%): Tribal and remote areas struggle to match the state average.

Telangana (76.9%), Uttar Pradesh (78.2%), Chhattisgarh (78.5%),and Odisha (79.0%) aren’t far above them, suggesting that sheer size and rural populations continue to be a hurdle.

RURAL VS URBAN: A TWO-SPEED TRACK

Urban India’s gain is obvious: the national urban literacy rate is 88.9% (7+), compared to 77.5% in rural belts.

Look at Madhya Pradesh for instance: rural hubs are at 71.6%, while cities reach 85.7% — a huge 14-point gap.

In Bihar, the divide is 10.7 points (rural 73.3% vs urban 84.0%). Rajasthan’s rural part sits at 72.5% while urban pockets hit 84.7%. These splits pop up all over central and northern India.

Some places manage to keep rural nearly on par with urban, though. Mizoram’s rural literacy is 98.1%, versus 98.3% in towns — just a tiny 0.2 point difference.

Kerala shows a 2.5-point gap (94.2% rural vs 96.4% urban), suggesting widespread access even outside big cities.

GENDER GAP: SMALL STATES, SMALLER DIFFERENCES

Nationally, men outpace women by 12.6 points (87.2% vs 74.6%). But that gap is not uniform. In larger states like Rajasthan, the split is 20.1 points (male 85.9%, female 65.8%).

In Bihar, it’s 16.2 points (82.3% vs 66.1%), and in Madhya Pradesh, 16.1 points (83.1% vs 67.0%).

Compare that with top-ranked Mizoram — its gap is just 2.2 points (male 99.2%, female 97.0%). In Meghalaya, the gap is just 1.6 points (95.1% vs 93.5%) Kerala’s male literacy rate is 96.7%, female 94.0%, so a 2.7-point difference.

This shows how gender gaps shrink in regions where basic schooling is near universal.

WHY IT MATTERS

This PLFS data tells us that India has come a long way — 80.9% literacy for adults is nothing to sneeze at. But the unevenness is clear.

Small states and Union Territories can push near-perfect literacy with the right mix of school networks, community effort and targeted female enrolment. In contrast, large states with big rural stretches still lag, especially for women.

Improving literacy is more than ticking a box. It’s about access to daily newspapers, government forms, even job opportunities that demand basic reading and writing. That in turn affects healthcare awareness and local governance.

As lakhs of businesses are coming online (from Rs100 street vendors to big corporations), bridging both rural-urban and gender gaps remains key.

• Rural India must not be left behind: With a nearly 12-point national gap, boosting village schools and adult learning centres is urgent.
• Women still trail men: Programmes that target female literacy — especially in Bihar, MP or Rajasthan — should keep momentum.
• Small states lead by example: Lakshadweep, Mizoram and Nagaland show that almost universal literacy is doable with community buy-in.

If bigger states study these success stories — tailoring them to local languages, social norms and infrastructure — India could narrow these divides.

Literacy isn’t just about reading textbooks; it’s about shaping a future where every adult can read, write and take part in a 21st-century economy.