| Table 11: Rankings According to Literacy Rates | ||
| 1981 | 1991 | 2001 |
| Kerala | Kerala | Kerala |
| Chandigarh | Mizoram | Mizoram |
| Delhi | Lakshadweep | Lakshadweep |
| Lakshadweep | Chandigarh | Goa |
| Goa | Goa | Chandigarh |
| Pondicherry | Delhi | Delhi |
| Andaman & Nicobar | Pondicherry | Andaman & Nicobar |
| Mizoram | Andaman & Nicobar | Pondicherry |
| Maharashtra | Maharashtra | Maharashtra |
| Tamil Nadu | Tamil Nadu | Tamil Nadu |
| Nagaland | Nagaland | Tripura |
| Tripura | Gujarat | Uttarakhand |
| Manipur | Tripura | Manipur |
| West Bengal | Manipur | Punjab |
| Karnataka | Punjab | Gujarat |
| Uttarakhand | Uttarakhand | Sikkim |
| Gujarat | West Bengal | West Bengal |
| Punjab | Sikkim | Haryana |
| Meghalaya | Karnataka | Karnataka |
| Madhya Pradesh | Haryana | Nagaland |
| Haryana | Meghalaya | Chhattisgarh |
| Andhra Pradesh | Orissa | Madhya Pradesh |
| Jharkhand | Madhya Pradesh | Orissa |
| Sikkim | Andhra Pradesh | Meghalaya |
| Orissa | Chhattisgarh | Andhra Pradesh |
| Dadra & Nagar Haveli | Arunachal Pradesh | Rajasthan |
| Uttar Pradesh | Jharkhand | Dadra & Nagar Haveli |
| Chhattisgarh | Dadra & Nagar Haveli | Uttar Pradesh |
| Bihar | Uttar Pradesh | Arunachal Pradesh |
| Rajasthan | Rajasthan | Jharkhand |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Bihar | Bihar |
| Source: ranks calculated from data in Table 10. | ||