Unicode Versions
Unicode has grown from 7,161 characters in version 1.1 (1993) to over 138,567 characters across 28 versions. Each release adds new scripts, symbols, and emoji. Click any version to see exactly which characters were introduced.
Version data comes from the Unicode Character Database Age property, which records the first Unicode version in which each character was assigned.
| Version | New Characters | Running Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unicode 1.1 | 33,977 | 33,977 |
|
| Unicode 2.0 | 11,373 | 45,350 |
|
| Unicode 2.1 | 2 | 45,352 |
|
| Unicode 3.0 | 10,307 | 55,659 |
|
| Unicode 3.1 | 44,946 | 100,605 |
|
| Unicode 3.2 | 1,016 | 101,621 |
|
| Unicode 4.0 | 1,226 | 102,847 |
|
| Unicode 4.1 | 1,273 | 104,120 |
|
| Unicode 5.0 | 1,369 | 105,489 |
|
| Unicode 5.1 | 1,624 | 107,113 |
|
| Unicode 5.2 | 6,648 | 113,761 |
|
| Unicode 6.0 | 2,088 | 115,849 |
|
| Unicode 6.1 | 732 | 116,581 |
|
| Unicode 6.2 | 1 | 116,582 |
|
| Unicode 6.3 | 5 | 116,587 |
|
| Unicode 7.0 | 2,834 | 119,421 |
|
| Unicode 8.0 | 7,716 | 127,137 |
|
| Unicode 9.0 | 1,375 | 128,512 |
|
| Unicode 10.0 | 1,045 | 129,557 |
|
| Unicode 11.0 | 679 | 130,236 |
|
| Unicode 12.0 | 548 | 130,784 |
|
| Unicode 12.1 | 1 | 130,785 |
|
| Unicode 13.0 | 982 | 131,767 |
|
| Unicode 14.0 | 838 | 132,605 |
|
| Unicode 15.0 | 297 | 132,902 |
|
| Unicode 15.1 | 5 | 132,907 |
|
| Unicode 16.0 | 5,185 | 138,092 |
|
| Unicode 17.0 | 475 | 138,567 |
|
Unicode Versions FAQ
What Unicode version is current?
Unicode 15.1 is the most recent version as of 2023. The Unicode Consortium releases a new version roughly once per year, typically in September. Each release can add new scripts, characters for existing scripts, emoji, and corrections to existing entries.
How are Unicode versions numbered?
Unicode uses a major.minor version scheme. Major versions (1.0, 2.0, 3.0, …) represent significant additions or architectural changes. Minor versions (e.g. 6.1, 15.1) add characters or corrections without changing the overall structure. The first version, 1.0, was published in 1991; version 1.1 followed in 1993.
How do I check which Unicode version a character is from?
Every character page on this site shows the Unicode version under Unicode Properties → Unicode Version. In code, the version is available as the Age property in the Unicode Character Database (UCD). In Python: unicodedata.unidata_version gives the UCD version your Python build was compiled against.
Can characters be removed from Unicode?
No. Once a codepoint is assigned, it is permanently assigned. Unicode's stability guarantee means that software written to handle a given codepoint will continue to work in all future versions. Characters may have their properties corrected (e.g. their name or category), but the assignment itself is permanent.