Himachal Pradesh has achieved a 99.55 per cent literacy rate, making it India’s second-most literate state after Goa, which records 99.7 per cent, according to the latest figures cited by the state government.
The achievement was recognised with a national award on International Literacy Day, September 8, 2026, with Himachal Pradesh Education Minister Rohit Thakur receiving the honour in New Delhi on behalf of the state. The milestone follows the state’s declaration as “fully literate” on September 8, 2025, when its literacy rate stood at 99.3 per cent.
A major part of the latest progress has come through the New India Literacy Programme (ULLAS), which has covered all 12 districts since its implementation in Himachal Pradesh in 2023-24. The initiative has identified and registered 94,930 learners and trained 19,232 volunteer teachers.
Thakur credited teachers, students and government officials for the achievement and said the state would now focus on sustaining literacy while expanding lifelong learning, digital literacy and vocational skills. Himachal has set a target of reaching 100 per cent literacy in 2026-27.
A Remarkable Literacy Turnaround
Himachal Pradesh’s latest achievement is particularly significant when viewed against its educational history. The state’s literacy rate stood at just 7.98 per cent in 1951, according to Himachal Pradesh government statistics.
It subsequently rose to 21.03 per cent in 1961, 31.71 per cent in 1971, 42.33 per cent in 1981, 63.75 per cent in 1991, 76.48 per cent in 2001 and 82.80 per cent in the 2011 Census. The jump to 99.3 per cent by 2025 and 99.55 per cent in 2026 therefore represents a transformation built over several decades, rather than the outcome of a single scheme.
The state’s difficult mountainous terrain and scattered settlements also presented challenges in taking education to remote communities. More recently, ULLAS provided an additional push by identifying adults who remained outside the formal education system and connecting them with community-level learning opportunities.
Thakur said the progress had been strengthened by reforms undertaken by the state government, with an emphasis on quality education and improved learning outcomes. He also credited the contribution of teachers, learners and government officials in taking the literacy campaign forward.
ULLAS Drives The Final Push
The latest numbers underline the scale of the literacy campaign. ULLAS, launched nationally in 2022-23 and implemented in Himachal Pradesh from 2023-24, has been rolled out across all 12 districts. Of the 94,930 learners registered on the ULLAS portal, 19,232 volunteer teachers have been registered and trained to support the programme.
The state also conducted three Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Tests (FLNATs) to assess whether learners had actually acquired basic reading, writing and numeracy skills. Across the three assessments, 61,542 learners appeared and 59,896 passed, giving an overall pass rate of 97.3 per cent.
The assessments recorded pass rates of 94.6 per cent in September 2024, 98.3 per cent in March 2025 and 98.1 per cent in March 2026. The achievement also needs to be understood in context. Being declared “fully literate” under the government’s framework does not mean that every individual in the state can necessarily read and write; Himachal crossed the prescribed threshold in 2025 with a literacy rate of 99.3 per cent.
The latest 99.55 per cent figure means the state has moved another 0.25 percentage points closer to universal literacy. According to recent state-level reporting, around 28,480 people remain non-literate, or approximately 0.45 per cent of the population.
The government has therefore set its sights on the remaining gap, targeting 100 per cent literacy in 2026-27. Thakur said the next phase would focus not only on sustaining literacy but also on lifelong learning, digital literacy and vocational skills under ULLAS.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Himachal Pradesh’s journey from a literacy rate of 7.98 per cent in 1951 to 99.55 per cent today is a reminder that meaningful social change is rarely achieved overnight. It takes sustained public investment, teachers who show up for their communities, volunteers willing to give their time and policies that reach people who are often left behind.
The state’s achievement is worth celebrating, but the remaining 0.45 per cent should not become an afterthought. Reaching the last learner will require patience, inclusion and continued community participation, particularly as the focus moves from basic literacy towards digital, financial and vocational skills.
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