Literacy Rates - world statistics and charts as map, diagram and table
Literacy rates of the countries of the world
Rank (total) | Country | Total (percent) | Date |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Andorra | 100.0 | 2016 |
1 | Greenland | 100.0 | 2015 |
1 | Korea (North) | 100.0 | 2015 |
1 | Uzbekistan | 100.0 | 2016 |
5 | Latvia | 99.9 | 2015 |
5 | San Marino | 99.9 | |
7 | Azerbaijan | 99.8 | 2017 |
7 | Belarus | 99.8 | 2018 |
7 | Cuba | 99.8 | 2015 |
7 | Estonia | 99.8 | 2015 |
7 | Kazakhstan | 99.8 | 2015 |
7 | Lithuania | 99.8 | 2015 |
7 | Poland | 99.8 | 2015 |
7 | Tajikistan | 99.8 | 2015 |
7 | Ukraine | 99.8 | 2015 |
16 | Armenia | 99.7 | 2017 |
16 | Russia | 99.7 | 2018 |
16 | Slovenia | 99.7 | 2015 |
16 | Turkmenistan | 99.7 | 2015 |
20 | Barbados | 99.6 | 2014 |
20 | Kyrgyzstan | 99.6 | 2018 |
22 | Georgia | 99.4 | 2017 |
22 | Moldova | 99.4 | 2015 |
22 | Tonga | 99.4 | 2015 |
25 | Croatia | 99.3 | 2015 |
26 | Italy | 99.2 | 2018 |
27 | Cyprus | 99.1 | 2015 |
27 | Fiji | 99.1 | 2018 |
27 | Hungary | 99.1 | 2015 |
27 | Samoa | 99.1 | 2018 |
31 | Antigua and Barbuda | 99.0 | 2015 |
31 | Argentina | 99.0 | 2018 |
31 | Czech Republic | 99.0 | 2011 |
31 | Trinidad and Tobago | 99.0 | 2015 |
35 | Cayman Islands | 98.9 | 2007 |
36 | Montenegro | 98.8 | 2018 |
36 | Romania | 98.8 | 2018 |
38 | Uruguay | 98.7 | 2018 |
39 | Grenada | 98.6 | 2014 est. |
40 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 98.5 | 2015 |
40 | Taiwan | 98.5 | 2014 |
42 | Bulgaria | 98.4 | 2015 |
42 | Mongolia | 98.4 | 2018 |
42 | Spain | 98.4 | 2018 |
45 | Marshall Islands | 98.3 | 2011 |
45 | Serbia | 98.3 | 2016 |
47 | Jordan | 98.2 | 2018 |
47 | Philippines | 98.2 | 2015 |
49 | Albania | 98.1 | 2018 |
50 | Costa Rica | 97.9 | 2018 |
51 | Aruba | 97.8 | 2018 |
51 | Israel | 97.8 | 2011 |
51 | North Macedonia | 97.8 | 2015 |
54 | Greece | 97.7 | 2015 |
54 | Maldives | 97.7 | 2016 |
56 | Bahrain | 97.5 | 2018 |
57 | Singapore | 97.3 | 2018 |
58 | Brunei | 97.2 | 2018 |
58 | Palestinian Territories | 97.2 | 2018 |
60 | Venezuela | 97.1 | 2016 |
61 | New Caledonia | 96.9 | 2015 |
62 | China | 96.8 | 2018 |
63 | Palau | 96.6 | 2015 |
64 | Macau | 96.5 | 2016 |
65 | Chile | 96.4 | 2017 |
66 | Turkey | 96.2 | 2017 |
67 | Kuwait | 96.1 | 2018 |
67 | Portugal | 96.1 | 2018 |
69 | Seychelles | 95.9 | 2018 |
70 | Indonesia | 95.7 | 2018 |
70 | Oman | 95.7 | 2018 |
72 | Mexico | 95.4 | 2018 |
72 | Panama | 95.4 | 2018 |
74 | Equatorial Guinea | 95.3 | 2015 |
74 | Saudi Arabia | 95.3 | 2017 |
76 | Colombia | 95.1 | 2018 |
76 | Lebanon | 95.1 | 2018 |
78 | Vietnam | 95.0 | 2018 |
79 | Malta | 94.5 | 2018 |
80 | Peru | 94.4 | 2018 |
80 | Suriname | 94.4 | 2018 |
82 | Paraguay | 94.0 | 2018 |
83 | Dominican Republic | 93.8 | 2016 |
83 | United Arab Emirates | 93.8 | 2015 |
85 | Malaysia | 93.7 | 2016 |
86 | Qatar | 93.5 | 2017 |
87 | Brazil | 93.2 | 2018 |
88 | Thailand | 92.9 | 2015 |
89 | Ecuador | 92.8 | 2017 |
89 | São Tomé and Príncipe | 92.8 | 2018 |
91 | Bolivia | 92.5 | 2015 |
92 | Puerto Rico | 92.4 | 2017 |
93 | Sri Lanka | 91.9 | 2017 |
94 | Namibia | 91.5 | 2018 |
95 | Mauritius | 91.3 | 2018 |
96 | Libya | 91.0 | 2015 |
97 | Jamaica | 88.7 | 2015 |
98 | Botswana | 88.5 | 2015 |
98 | El Salvador | 88.5 | 2017 |
98 | Guyana | 88.5 | 2015 |
101 | Eswatini | 88.4 | 2015 |
102 | Vanuatu | 87.5 | 2018 |
103 | Honduras | 87.2 | 2016 |
104 | South Africa | 87.0 | 2017 |
105 | Cape Verde | 86.8 | 2015 |
106 | Zambia | 86.7 | 2018 |
107 | Zimbabwe | 86.5 | 2015 |
108 | Syria | 86.4 | 2015 |
109 | Iran | 85.5 | 2016 |
110 | Gabon | 84.7 | 2018 |
110 | Laos | 84.7 | 2015 |
112 | Nicaragua | 82.6 | 2015 |
113 | Tunisia | 81.8 | 2015 |
114 | Guatemala | 81.5 | 2015 |
114 | Kenya | 81.5 | 2018 |
116 | Algeria | 81.4 | 2018 |
117 | Cambodia | 80.5 | 2015 |
118 | Congo (Republic) | 80.3 | 2018 |
119 | Lesotho | 79.4 | 2015 |
120 | Tanzania | 77.9 | 2015 |
121 | Cameroon | 77.1 | 2018 |
122 | Congo (Democratic Republic) | 77.0 | 2016 |
123 | Eritrea | 76.6 | 2018 |
123 | Ghana | 76.6 | 2015 |
125 | Uganda | 76.5 | 2018 |
126 | Myanmar (Burma) | 75.6 | 2016 |
127 | Madagascar | 74.8 | 2018 |
128 | India | 74.4 | 2018 |
129 | Bangladesh | 73.9 | 2018 |
130 | Morocco | 73.8 | 2018 |
131 | Rwanda | 73.2 | 2018 |
132 | Egypt | 71.2 | 2017 |
133 | Angola | 71.1 | 2015 |
134 | Yemen | 70.1 | 2015 |
135 | Burundi | 68.4 | 2017 |
136 | East Timor | 68.1 | 2018 |
137 | Nepal | 67.9 | 2018 |
138 | Bhutan | 66.6 | 2017 |
139 | Papua New Guinea | 64.2 | 2015 |
140 | Togo | 63.7 | 2015 |
141 | Malawi | 62.1 | 2015 |
142 | Nigeria | 62.0 | 2018 |
143 | Haiti | 61.7 | 2016 |
144 | Mozambique | 60.7 | 2017 |
144 | Sudan | 60.7 | 2018 |
146 | Guinea-Bissau | 59.9 | 2015 |
147 | Pakistan | 59.1 | 2015 |
148 | Comoros | 58.8 | 2018 |
149 | Mauritania | 53.5 | 2017 |
150 | Senegal | 51.9 | 2017 |
151 | Ethiopia | 51.8 | 2017 |
152 | Gambia | 50.8 | 2015 |
153 | Iraq | 50.1 | 2018 |
154 | Liberia | 48.3 | 2017 |
155 | Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) | 47.2 | 2018 |
156 | Sierra Leone | 43.2 | 2018 |
157 | Afghanistan | 43.0 | 2018 |
158 | Benin | 42.4 | 2018 |
159 | Burkina Faso | 41.2 | 2018 |
160 | Central African Republic | 37.4 | 2018 |
161 | Mali | 35.5 | 2018 |
162 | South Sudan | 34.5 | 2018 |
163 | Guinea | 30.4 | 2015 |
164 | Chad | 22.3 | 2016 |
165 | Niger | 19.1 | 2015 |
World | 86.3 | 2016 est. |
No information is available for non-listed countries.
There are no universal definitions and standards of literacy. Most presented rates are based on the ability to read and write at a specified age. Information on literacy, while not a perfect measure of educational results, is probably the most easily available and valid for international comparisons. Low levels of literacy, and education in general, can impede the economic development of a country in the current rapidly changing, technology-driven world.
Source: CIA World Factbook (2020-05-14)