AP Literacy Rate at 82%, Goal to Achieve 100% by September 2027

Andhra Pradesh Education Minister Nara Lokesh took to social media to announce the transformation of the education system and the increase in the literacy rate in the state since he took office in 2024.

According to the numbers shared, the literacy rate in Andhra Pradesh has risen to 82% in 2026 from 72.6% in 2024. Around 25 lakh people have become literate through the state government's Akshara Andhra Programme, the minister added. 

I’m SUPER EXCITED to announce that AP has shot up in literacy to 82.1% in 2026 from 72.6% in 2024!

We were among the lowest in India in 2024 when I took charge of the education department. The transformation that we are creating is truly historic. My best wishes to the… pic.twitter.com/Nhvwigk7TJ

— Lokesh Nara (@naralokesh) September 2, 2026

Taking to social media, the minister extended his best wishes to the education department for implementing the large-scale literacy field programme and to the teachers who contributed to the campaign. He further added that the government now aims to take the literacy rate to 100% by September 2027. 

According to the minister, another 25 lakh people will be made literate by March 2027, and the remaining 27 lakh by September 2027. The government will continue its efforts to ensure that people who remain illiterate are reached through the programme.

The programme is being implemented in coordination with 11 government departments. The education minister is directing officials to include MLAs and local representatives in the programme and reach people who remain illiterate. 

The minister has also called for intense field-level efforts to identify and reach people who are still unable to read and write. The programme is aimed at taking literacy initiatives beyond formal educational institutions and reaching adults and other sections of the population who have remained outside the system. 

In a review meeting it was examined the issue of school-age children who are currently outside the formal education system. According to officials, 1,64,821 school-age children in AP are currently out of school. 

The government will also be working to bring children back to formal education. As per reports, 33000 children who were outside the school system are now enrolled in school this year. The education minister has directed officials to continue with the effort to identify out-of-school children and facilitate their enrolment along with the ongoing literacy campaign. The state government is also simultaneously focusing on improving literacy among adults and ensuring that children of school-going age are brought into the formal education system.