ASER. Annual Status of Education Report. India's Learning
Loss & Recovery. 

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About ASER. Annual Status of Education Report — India's learning pulse for 20 years. 

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Annual Status of Education Report — India's learning pulse for 20 years

India's largest citizen-led survey on foundational learning Launched in 2005 by Pratham — spanning 20 years Tests children aged 5–16 on Std I–II reading & arithmetic Covers government & private schools + home-based testing Rural focus across 28 states, ~640 districts Results directly inform national education policy

ASER methodology: Trained volunteers visit households and test children one-on-one using standardised cards — avoiding school-based testing bias.

Source: ASER Centre (Pratham) | aser.aser.in

The Focus of this Report: Standard V students able to read Standard II level text. 

The Cohort: Government School Students. 

Why this metric? It is the ultimate litmus test for foundational literacy. If a child cannot cross this threshold by Standard V, they are fundamentally locked out of independent learning.

NATIONAL READING TRENDS (2018 – 2024). % of Grade V students in Govt. schools who can read Grade II level text. 

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% of Grade V students in Govt. schools who can read Grade II level text

Reading Ability % 2018 2022 2024 47.1 38.700000000000003 44.8

Reading fell 8.4 percentage points — from 47.1% to 38.7% — between 2018 and 2022 as schools shut for 18+ months.

By 2024 the national avg climbed back to 44.8%, recovering ~72% of the loss — still 2.3pp below the 2018 benchmark.

Only ~37% of states fully returned to or exceeded their 2018 reading levels. Most remain in a partial-recovery zone.

Source: ASER 2018, 2022, 2024  |  Indicator: Std V reading Std II text  |  Govt. schools  |  Pratham Foundation

RECOVERY STATUS SUMMARY. Post-Pandemic Learning Recovery — All 27 States | Government Schools, 2022 → 2024. 

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Post-Pandemic Learning Recovery — All 27 States | Government Schools, 2022 → 2024

STRONG RECOVERY STATES — Year-wise Trend (2018–2024). 

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STRONG RECOVERY STATES — Year-wise Trend (2018–2024)

States that showed notable improvement in reading scores post-pandemic | Government Schools

Source: ASER 2018, 2022, 2024 | Pratham Education Foundation | % Std V reading Std II text, Govt Schools

[image] STRONG RECOVERY STATES- Year-wise Trend
(2018—2024)

RECOVERED STATES — Year-wise Trend (2018–2024). States that returned to or surpassed pre-pandemic reading levels | Government Schools. 

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RECOVERED STATES — Year-wise Trend (2018–2024)

States that returned to or surpassed pre-pandemic reading levels | Government Schools

Andhra Pradesh
60
57.1
40
20
2018
37.9
2022
37.5
2024
Meghalaya
38.9
2018
29.1
2022
36.6
2024
Rajasthan
39.1
2018
31.5
2022
37.7
2024

PARTIALLY RECOVERED STATES — Year-wise Trend (2018–2024). 

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PARTIALLY RECOVERED STATES — Year-wise Trend (2018–2024)

States showing improvement post-2022 but not back to pre-pandemic levels | Government Schools

STILL BEHIND STATES — Year-wise Trend (2018–2024). 

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STILL BEHIND STATES — Year-wise Trend (2018–2024)

States continuing to lag behind pre-pandemic scores despite 2 years of recovery | Government Schools

The Road Ahead. Unprecedented recovery — but the learning crisis is not over. 

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Unprecedented recovery — but the learning crisis is not over

First time recovery exceeded pre-pandemic levels nationally (Outlook India)

Govt schools outpaced private for first time: +7pp Std III reading

Std V reading: 38.3% → 50.5% — Times of India's 'biggest learning leap'

72.7% → 86.2% enrollment with gender parity exceeding national benchmarks

Most dramatic gain: 26% → 52.4% in one cycle (+26.4pp)

Urban-rural divide; Amravati 37.9%, below 44.1% (2018)

Arithmetic paradox: 73.3% reading but only 12.4% division

Reading still 9.3pp below 2018 levels despite recovery

High baseline 74.5% (2018) — still 4.4pp below after 6 yrs

ORF Online: 'Rural govt schools surpassed urban-private in several states — urban strategies still lag significantly'

Source: ASER Centre 2024 | Outlook India | The Hindu | Education for All in India | Times of India

India's Learning Loss & Recovery — ASER 2024

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