This article needs to be updated. (March 2022) |
This is a list of countries by literacy rate.
The global literacy rate for all people aged 15 and above is 86.3%. The global literacy rate for all males is 90.0%, and the rate for all females is 82.7%. The rate varies throughout the world, with developed nations having a rate of 99.2% (2013), South and West Asia having 70.2% (2015), and sub-Saharan Africa at 64.0% (2015).[1] Over 75% of the world's 781 million illiterate adults are found in South Asia, West Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa, and women represent almost two-thirds of all illiterate adults globally.[2]
List of UN member states by age group and gender disparity
editData published by UNESCO using the following definitions:[3]
Youth: Percentage of people aged 15 to 24 years who can both read and write, with understanding, a short simple statement on their everyday life. Generally, "literacy" also encompasses "numeracy", the ability to make simple arithmetic calculations.
Adult: Percentage of the population aged 25 years and over who can both read and write, with understanding, a short simple statement on his/her everyday life. Generally, "literacy" also encompasses "numeracy", the ability to make simple arithmetic calculations.
Elderly: Percentage of the population aged 65 years and over who can both read and write, with understanding, a short simple statement on their everyday life. Generally, "literacy" also encompasses "numeracy", the ability to make simple arithmetic calculations.
Gender Parity Index (GPI): The gender parity index (GPI) of the youth literacy rate is the ratio of the female to male literacy rates of the population aged 15 to 24 years. A GPI value between 0.97 and 1.03 is usually interpreted to indicate gender parity.
"*" indicates "Literacy in country or territory" or "Education in country or territory" links.
| Country | Youth (15 to 24) |
Adult (25+) |
Elderly (65+) |
Youth Gender Parity Index | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rate | Year | Rate | Year | Rate | Year | Rate | Year | |
 Afghanistan * |
65.0 | 2020[4] | 31.7 | 2011 | 20.3 | 2011 | 0.5 | 2011 |
 Albania * |
99.2 | 2012 | 97.2 | 2012 | 86.9 | 2012 | 1.0 | 2012 |
 Algeria * |
93.8 | 2008 | 75.1 | 2008 | 19.5 | 2008 | 1.0 | 2008 |
 American Samoa * |
97.7 | 1980 | 97.3 | 1980 | 92.7 | 1980 | 1.0 | 1980 |
 Andorra * |
||||||||
 Angola * |
77.4 | 2014 | 66.0 | 2014 | 27.0 | 2014 | 0.8 | 2014 |
 Anguilla * |
99.1 | 1984 | 95.4 | 1984 | 88.0 | 1984 | 1.0 | 1984 |
 Antigua and Barbuda * |
98.9 | 2015 | ||||||
 Argentina * |
99.5 | 2016 | 99.1 | 2016 | 97.9 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
 Armenia * |
99.8 | 2011 | 99.7 | 2011 | 98.9 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
 Aruba * |
99.1 | 2010 | 96.8 | 2010 | 88.9 | 2010 | 1.0 | 2010 |
 Australia * |
96.6 | |||||||
 Austria * |
||||||||
 Azerbaijan * |
99.9 | 2016 | 99.8 | 2016 | 98.4 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
 Bahamas |
||||||||
 Bahrain * |
97.0 | 2001 | 86.5 | 2001 | 42.3 | 2001 | 1.0 | 2001 |
 Bangladesh * |
94.9 | 2019 | 74.7 | 2019 | 39.4 | 2019 | 1.03 | 2019 |
 Barbados * |
99.9 | 2014 | 99.6 | 2014 | 98.5 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
 Belarus * |
99.8 | 2009 | 99.6 | 2009 | 98.6 | 2009 | 1.0 | 2009 |
 Belgium * |
||||||||
 Belize * |
77.6 | 1991 | 70.3 | 1991 | 44.8 | 1991 | 1.0 | 1991 |
 Benin * |
52.5 | 2012 | 32.9 | 2012 | 7.0 | 2012 | 0.6 | 2012 |
 Bermuda * |
||||||||
 Bhutan * |
87.3 | 2012 | 57.0 | 2012 | 14.9 | 2012 | 0.9 | 2012 |
 Bolivia * |
99.4 | 2015 | 92.5 | 2015 | 67.5 | 2015 | 1.0 | 2015 |
 Bonaire |
||||||||
 Bosnia and Herzegovina * |
99.7 | 2013 | 97.0 | 2013 | 86.0 | 2013 | 1.0 | 2013 |
 Botswana * |
97.7 | 2014 | 87.7 | 2014 | 40.7 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
 Brazil * |
99.7 | 2020 | 92.0 | 2015 | 74.3 | 2015 | 1.0 | 2015 |
 British Virgin Islands * |
||||||||
 Brunei * |
99.4 | 2011 | 96.1 | 2011 | 61.6 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
 Bulgaria * |
97.9 | 2011 | 98.4 | 2011 | 97.5 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
 Burkina Faso * |
50.1 | 2014 | 34.6 | 2014 | 8.4 | 2014 | 0.8 | 2014 |
 Burundi * |
79.6 | 2014 | 61.6 | 2014 | 24.9 | 2014 | 0.9 | 2014 |
 Cape Verde * |
98.1 | 2015 | 86.8 | 2015 | 36.8 | 2015 | 1.0 | 2015 |
 Cambodia * |
92.2 | 2015 | 80.5 | 2015 | 53.1 | 2015 | 1.0 | 2015 |
 Cameroon * |
80.6 | 2010 | 71.3 | 2010 | 26.1 | 2010 | 0.9 | 2010 |
 Canada * |
||||||||
 Cayman Islands * |
98.9 | 2007 | 98.9 | 2007 | 94.7 | 2007 | 1.0 | 2007 |
 Central African Republic * |
36.4 | 2010 | 36.8 | 2010 | 35.7 | 2010 | 0.6 | 2010 |
 Chad * |
30.8 | 2016 | 22.3 | 2016 | 7.0 | 2016 | 0.6 | 2016 |
 Chile * |
99.4 | 2015 | 96.9 | 2015 | 89.9 | 2015 | 1.0 | 2015 |
 China * |
99.8[5] | 2018 | 96.8[6] | 2018 | 73.9 | 2010 | 1.0[7] | 2018 |
 Hong Kong * |
||||||||
 Macau * |
99.8 | 2016 | 96.5 | 2016 | 81.2 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
 Colombia * |
98.7 | 2016 | 94.7 | 2016 | 81.4 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
 Comoros * |
71.6 | 2012 | 49.2 | 2012 | 12.8 | 2012 | 0.9 | 2012 |
 Congo * |
80.9 | 2011 | 79.3 | 2011 | 73.1 | 2011 | 0.9 | 2011 |
 DR Congo * |
85.0 | 2016 | 77.0 | 2016 | 48.0 | 2016 | 0.9 | 2016 |
 Cook Islands * |
||||||||
 Costa Rica * |
99.1 | 2011 | 97.4 | 2011 | 90.4 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
 Ivory Coast * |
53.0 | 2014 | 43.9 | 2014 | 18.0 | 2014 | 0.8 | 2014 |
 Croatia * |
99.7 | 2011 | 99.1 | 2011 | 97.1 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
 Cuba * |
99.9 | 2012 | 99.8 | 2012 | 99.2 | 2012 | 1.0 | 2012 |
 Curaçao |
||||||||
 Cyprus * |
99.8 | 2011 | 98.7 | 2011 | 93.8 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
 Czech Republic * |
||||||||
 Denmark * |
||||||||
 Djibouti * |
||||||||
 Dominica * |
||||||||
 Dominican Republic * |
98.8 | 2016 | 93.8 | 2016 | 79.8 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
 Ecuador * |
99.1 | 2016 | 94.4 | 2016 | 77.7 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
 Egypt * |
93.9 | 2017 | 71.2 | 2017 | 43.2 | 2013 | 1.0 | 2017 |
 El Salvador * |
98.0 | 2016 | 88.5 | 2017 | 65.7 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
 Equatorial Guinea * |
98.2 | 2014 | 95.0 | 2014 | 67.2 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
 Eritrea * |
87.0 | 2008 | 64.7 | 2008 | 20.9 | 2008 | 0.9 | 2008 |
 Estonia * |
99.9 | 2011 | 99.9 | 2011 | 99.7 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
 Eswatini * |
93.5 | 2010 | 83.1 | 2010 | 45.2 | 2010 | 1.0 | 2010 |
 Ethiopia * |
55.0 | 2007 | 39.0 | 2007 | 13.6 | 2007 | 0.7 | 2007 |
 Faroe Islands * |
||||||||
 Falkland Islands * |
||||||||
 Fiji * |
||||||||
 Finland * |
||||||||
 France * |
||||||||
| French Guiana * |
91.3 | 1982 | 82.9 | 1982 | 69.7 | 1982 | ||
 French Polynesia * |
||||||||
 Gabon * |
88.5 | 2012 | 82.3 | 2012 | 60.6 | 2012 | 1.0 | 2012 |
 Gambia * |
60.8 | 2013 | 42.0 | 2013 | 10.4 | 2013 | 0.9 | 2013 |
 Georgia * |
99.7 | 2014 | 99.6 | 2014 | 99.1 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
 Germany * |
||||||||
 Ghana * |
85.7 | 2010 | 71.5 | 2010 | 34.9 | 2010 | 0.9 | 2010 |
 Gibraltar * |
||||||||
 Greece * |
98.8 | 2011 | 97.4 | 2011 | 92.5 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
 Greenland *[8] |
100.0 | 2015 | 1.0 | 2015 | ||||
 Grenada * |
99.2 | 2014 | 98.6 | 2014 | 96.2 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
| Guadeloupe * |
99.8 | 2014 | 96.0 | 2014 | 82.9 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
 Guam * |
99.9 | 1990 | 99.4 | 1990 | 95.9 | 1990 | 1.0 | 1990 |
 Guatemala * |
94.4 | 2014 | 81.3 | 2014 | 50.7 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
 Guinea * |
46.3 | 2014 | 32.0 | 2014 | 13.1 | 2014 | 0.7 | 2014 |
 Guinea-Bissau * |
60.4 | 2014 | 45.6 | 2014 | 19.5 | 2014 | 0.7 | 2014 |
 Guyana * |
96.7 | 2014 | 85.6 | 2014 | 49.9 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
 Haiti * |
72.3 | 2006 | 48.7 | 2006 | 8.5 | 2006 | 0.9 | 2006 |
 Holy See |
||||||||
 Honduras * |
96.1 | 2016 | 89.0 | 2016 | 66.3 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
 Hungary * |
98.8 | 2014 | 99.1 | 2014 | 99.1 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
 Iceland * |
||||||||
 India * |
95.7 | 2018 | 75.4 | 2018 | 45.4 | 2018 | 0.97 | 2018 |
 Indonesia * |
99.7 | 2016 | 95.4 | 2016 | 70.1 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
 Iran * |
98.1 | 2016 | 85.5 | 2016 | 36.8 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
 Iraq * |
93.5 | 2017 | 85.6 | 2017 | 20.4 | 2013 | 0.9 | 2013 |
 Ireland * |
||||||||
 Isle of Man * |
||||||||
 Israel * |
98.6 | 1983 | 91.8 | 1983 | 79.8 | 1983 | 1.0 | 1983 |
 Italy * |
99.9 | 2011 | 98.8 | 2011 | 96.7 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
 Jamaica * |
96.3 | 2014 | 88.1 | 2014 | 66.6 | 2014 | 1.1 | 2014 |
 Japan * |
||||||||
 Jordan * |
99.1 | 2012 | 97.9 | 2012 | 87.7 | 2012 | 1.0 | 2012 |
 Kazakhstan * |
99.9 | 2010 | 99.8 | 2010 | 99.5 | 2010 | 1.0 | 2010 |
 Kenya * |
86.5 | 2014 | 78.7 | 2014 | 54.0 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
 Kiribati * |
||||||||
 North Korea * |
100.0 | 2008 | 100.0 | 2008 | 100.0 | 2008 | 1.0 | 2008 |
 South Korea * |
||||||||
 Kuwait * |
99.2 | 2017 | 96.1 | 2018 | 69.5 | 2015 | 1.0 | 2017 |
 Kyrgyzstan * |
99.8 | 2009 | 99.2 | 2009 | 92.5 | 2009 | 1.0 | 2009 |
 Laos * |
92.5 | 2015 | 84.7 | 2015 | 58.6 | 2015 | 1.0 | 2015 |
 Latvia * |
99.8 | 2011 | 99.9 | 2011 | 99.9 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
 Lebanon * |
99.2 | 2009 | 91.2 | 2009 | 60.2 | 2009 | 1.0 | 2009 |
 Lesotho * |
86.6 | 2014 | 76.6 | 2014 | 51.4 | 2014 | 1.2 | 2014 |
 Liberia * |
49.1 | 2007 | 42.9 | 2007 | 32.8 | 2007 | 0.6 | 2007 |
 Libya * |
99.6 | 2004 | 86.1 | 2004 | 24.2 | 2004 | 1.0 | 2004 |
 Liechtenstein * |
||||||||
 Lithuania * |
99.9 | 2011 | 99.8 | 2011 | 99.8 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
 Luxembourg * |
||||||||
 Madagascar * |
76.8 | 2012 | 71.6 | 2012 | 49.4 | 2012 | 1.0 | 2012 |
 Malawi * |
72.9 | 2015 | 62.1 | 2015 | 35.1 | 2015 | 1.0 | 2015 |
 Malaysia * |
98.2 | 2001 | 89.5 | 2001 | 47.1 | 2001 | 1.0 | 2001 |
 Maldives * |
99.3 | 2014 | 98.6 | 2014 | 92.8 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
 Mali * |
49.4 | 2015 | 33.1 | 2015 | 13.6 | 2015 | 0.6 | 2015 |
 Malta * |
98.9 | 2011 | 93.3 | 2011 | 85.8 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
 Marshall Islands * |
98.5 | 2011 | 98.3 | 2011 | 89.4 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
 Martinique |
99.8 | 2014 | 96.9 | 2014 | 88.1 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
 Mauritania * |
56.1 | 2007 | 45.5 | 2007 | 26.6 | 2007 | 0.7 | 2007 |
 Mauritius * |
98.1 | 2011 | 93.2 | 2016 | 64.6 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
| Mayotte |
||||||||
 Mexico * |
99.1 | 2016 | 94.9 | 2016 | 78.9 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
 Micronesia * |
||||||||
 Monaco * |
||||||||
 Mongolia * |
98.5 | 2010 | 98.3 | 2010 | 94.6 | 2010 | 1.0 | 2010 |
 Montenegro * |
99.2 | 2011 | 98.4 | 2011 | 93.9 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
 Montserrat * |
||||||||
 Morocco * |
97.7[9] | 2018 | 73.8[9] | 2018 | 34.1[9] | 2018 | 0.99[10] | 2018 |
 Mozambique * |
70.5 | 2015 | 56.0 | 2015 | 26.0 | 2015 | 0.8 | 2015 |
 Myanmar * |
84.8 | 2016 | 75.6 | 2016 | 58.2 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
 Namibia * |
94.4 | 2011 | 88.3 | 2011 | 56.7 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
 Nauru * |
||||||||
 Nepal * |
84.8 | 2011 | 68 | 2018 | 20.8 | 2011 | 0.9 | 2011 |
 Netherlands * |
||||||||
 New Caledonia |
99.2 | 2014 | 97.8 | 2014 | 90.6 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
 New Zealand * |
||||||||
 Nicaragua * |
87.0 | 2005 | 78.0 | 2005 | 49.2 | 2005 | 1.0 | 2005 |
 Niger * |
39.8 | 2012 | 30.6 | 2012 | 13.7 | 2012 | 0.7 | 2012 |
 Nigeria * |
66.4 | 2008 | 51.1 | 2008 | 21.6 | 2008 | 0.8 | 2008 |
 Niue * |
||||||||
 North Macedonia * |
98.7 | 2002 | 96.1 | 2002 | 82.5 | 2002 | 1.0 | 2002 |
 Northern Mariana Islands * |
||||||||
 Norway * |
||||||||
 Oman * |
98.7 | 2017 | 96.1 | 2017 | 41.9 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2017 |
 Pakistan * |
74.5 | 2017 | 59.1 | 2017 | 27.1 | 2017 | 0.83 | 2017 |
 Palau * |
98.7 | 2015 | 96.6 | 2015 | 84.7 | 2015 | 1.0 | 2015 |
 Palestine * |
99[11] | 2020 | 97[11] | 2019 | 63.9 | 2016 | 1.13[11] | 2016 |
 Panama * |
97.6 | 2010 | 94.1 | 2010 | 80.9 | 2010 | 1.0 | 2010 |
 Papua New Guinea * |
67.9 | 2010 | 61.6 | 2010 | 33.0 | 2010 | 1.1 | 2010 |
 Paraguay * |
98.5 | 2016 | 94.7 | 2016 | 77.8 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
 Peru * |
98.9 | 2016 | 94.1 | 2017 | 77.7 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
 Philippines * |
98.1 | 2013 | 96.4 | 2013 | 90.1 | 2013 | 1.0 | 2013 |
 Pitcairn Islands |
||||||||
 Poland * |
99.8 | 2008 | 98.7 | 2008 | 93.0 | 2008 | 1.0 | 2008 |
 Portugal * |
99.4 | 2011 | 94.5 | 2011 | 80.5 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
 Puerto Rico * |
98.8 | 2010 | 92.4 | 2017 | 84.5 | 2010 | 1.0 | 2010 |
 Qatar * |
95.9 | 2004 | 89.0 | 2004 | 41.0 | 2004 | 1.0 | 2004 |
 Moldova * |
99.5 | 2012 | 99.1 | 2012 | 95.8 | 2012 | 1.0 | 2012 |
 Romania * |
99.0 | 2011 | 98.6 | 2011 | 96.8 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
 Russia * |
99.7 | 2010 | 99.7 | 2010 | 99.2 | 2010 | 1.0 | 2010 |
 Rwanda * |
85.1 | 2014 | 70.8 | 2014 | 24.3 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
| Réunion |
95.7 | 1982 | 78.6 | 1982 | 42.0 | 1982 | 1.0 | 1982 |
 Saint Helena * |
96.0 | 1998 | ||||||
 Saint Kitts and Nevis * |
||||||||
 Saint Lucia * |
||||||||
| Saint Pierre and Miquelon |
99.5 | 1982 | 99.3 | 1982 | 98.5 | 1982 | 1.0 | 1982 |
| Saint Martin |
||||||||
 Samoa * |
99.2 | 2011 | 99.0 | 2011 | 96.3 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
 San Marino * |
||||||||
 São Tomé and Príncipe * |
96.7 | 2012 | 90.1 | 2012 | 49.6 | 2012 | 1.0 | 2012 |
 Saudi Arabia * |
99.2 | 2013 | 94.4 | 2013 | 51.4 | 2013 | 1.0 | 2013 |
 Senegal * |
69.5 | 2017 | 51.9 | 2017 | 21.5 | 2013 | 0.8 | 2017 |
 Serbia * |
99.7 | 2016 | 98.8 | 2016 | 96.6 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
 Seychelles |
99.0 | 2010 | 94.0 | 2010 | 71.5 | 2010 | 1.0 | 2010 |
 Sierra Leone * |
57.0 | 2013 | 32.4 | 2013 | 3.7 | 2013 | 0.8 | 2013 |
 Singapore * |
99.9 | 2016 | 97.0 | 2016 | 84.0 | 2015 | 1.0 | 2016 |
 Sint Maarten |
||||||||
 Slovakia * |
||||||||
 Slovenia * |
99.8 | 2014 | 99.7 | 2014 | 99.3 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
 Solomon Islands * |
76.6 | 1999 | ||||||
 Somalia * |
||||||||
 South Africa * |
99.0 | 2015 | 94.4 | 2015 | 72.1 | 2015 | 1.0 | 2015 |
 South Sudan * |
36.7 | 2008 | 26.8 | 2008 | 11.0 | 2008 | 0.7 | 2008 |
 Spain * |
99.6 | 2016 | 98.3 | 2016 | 94.7 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
 Sri Lanka * |
98.9 | 2017 | 91.9 | 2017 | 81.0 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2017 |
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines * |
98.0 | 1970 | 95.6 | 1970 | 91.0 | 1970 | 1.0 | 1970 |
 Sudan * |
65.8 | 2008 | 53.5 | 2008 | 24.3 | 2008 | 0.9 | 2008 |
 Suriname * |
97.7 | 2012 | 92.9 | 2012 | 76.0 | 2012 | 1.0 | 2012 |
| Svalbard and Jan Mayen |
||||||||
 Sweden * |
||||||||
 Switzerland * |
||||||||
 Syria |
92.5 | 2004 | 80.8 | 2004 | 39.0 | 2004 | 1.0 | 2004 |
 Tajikistan * |
99.9 | 2014 | 99.8 | 2014 | 98.1 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
 Tanzania * |
85.8 | 2015 | 77.9 | 2015 | 43.5 | 2015 | 1.0 | 2015 |
 Thailand * |
98.1 | 2015 | 92.9 | 2015 | 78.7 | 2015 | 1.0 | 2015 |
 East Timor * |
79.5 | 2010 | 58.3 | 2010 | 11.2 | 2010 | 1.0 | 2010 |
 Togo * |
84.3 | 2015 | 63.7 | 2015 | 20.4 | 2015 | 0.9 | 2015 |
 Tokelau * |
||||||||
 Tonga * |
99.4 | 2011 | 99.4 | 2011 | 98.9 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
 Trinidad and Tobago * |
99.3 | 1990 | 96.9 | 1990 | 82.8 | 1990 | 1.0 | 1990 |
 Tunisia * |
96.2 | 2014 | 79.0 | 2014 | 39.8 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
 Turkey * |
99.6 | 2016 | 96.2 | 2016 | 88.1 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
 Turkmenistan * |
99.8 | 2014 | 99.7 | 2014 | 97.6 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
 Turks and Caicos Islands |
||||||||
 Tuvalu * |
||||||||
 Uganda * |
83.7 | 2012 | 70.2 | 2012 | 36.1 | 2012 | 1.0 | 2012 |
 Ukraine * |
100.0 | 2012 | 100.0 | 2012 | 100.0 | 2012 | 1.0 | 2012 |
 United Arab Emirates * |
95.0 | 2005 | 90.0 | 2005 | 42.1 | 2005 | 1.0 | 2005 |
 United Kingdom * |
||||||||
 United States * |
||||||||
 U.S. Virgin Islands * |
||||||||
 Uruguay * |
98.9 | 2017 | 98.6 | 2017 | 97.1 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2017 |
 Uzbekistan * |
100.0 | 2016 | 100.0 | 2016 | 99.8 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
 Vanuatu * |
95.3 | 2014 | 84.7 | 2014 | 44.2 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
 Venezuela * |
98.8 | 2016 | 97.1 | 2016 | 88.1 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
 Vietnam * |
97.1 | 2009 | 95.8 | 2019 | 76.9 | 2009 | 1.0 | 2009 |
| Wallis and Futuna |
||||||||
 Western Sahara |
||||||||
 Yemen * |
77.0 | 2004 | 54.1 | 2004 | 13.7 | 2004 | 0.7 | 2004 |
 Zambia * |
88.7 | 2010 | 83.0 | 2010 | 52.3 | 2010 | 0.9 | 2010 |
 Zimbabwe * |
90.4 | 2014 | 88.7 | 2014 | 81.1 | 2014 | 1.1 | 2014 |
List of UN member and observer states by adult literacy rate
edit"*" indicates "Literacy in country or territory" or "Education in country or territory" links.
| Country | Literacy rate[12][13] [text–source integrity?] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Male | Female | Gender gap | Year | |
| Afghanistan * |
37.3% | 52.1% | 22.6% | 29.5% | 2021 |
| Albania * |
98.1% | 98.5% | 97.8% | 0.7% | 2018 |
| Algeria * |
81.4% | 87.4% | 75.3% | 12.1% | 2018 |
| Andorra * |
100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 0.0% | 2016 |
| Angola * |
71.1% | 82.0% | 60.7% | 21.3% | 2015 |
| Antigua and Barbuda * |
99.0% | 98.4% | 99.4% | 1.0% | 2015 |
| Argentina * |
99.0% | 98.9% | 99.1% | 0.2% | 2018 |
| Armenia * |
99.8% | 99.8% | 99.7% | 0.1% | 2020 |
| Australia * |
99.0% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Austria * |
98.0% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Azerbaijan * |
99.8% | 99.9% | 99.7% | 0.2% | 2019 |
| Bahamas |
96.0% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Bahrain * |
97.5% | 99.9% | 94.9% | 5.0% | 2018 |
| Bangladesh * |
74.66% | 76.56% | 72.82% | 3.72% | 2022[14] |
| Barbados * |
99.6% | 99.6% | 99.6% | 0.0% | 2014 |
| Belarus * |
99.9% | 99.9% | 99.9% | 0.0% | 2019 |
| Belgium * |
99.0% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Belize * |
83.0% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Benin * |
42.4% | 54.0% | 31.1% | 22.9% | 2018 |
| Bhutan * |
66.6% | 75.0% | 57.1% | 17.9% | 2017 |
| Bolivia * |
92.5% | 96.5% | 88.6% | 7.9% | 2015 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina * |
98.5% | 99.5% | 97.5% | 2.0% | 2015 |
| Botswana * |
88.5% | 88.0% | 88.9% | 0.9% | 2015 |
| Brazil * |
93.2% | 93.0% | 93.4% | 0.4% | 2018 |
| Brunei * |
97.2% | 98.1% | 93.4% | 4.7% | 2018 |
| Bulgaria * |
98.4% | 98.7% | 98.1% | 0.6% | 2015 |
| Burkina Faso * |
39.3% | 49.2% | 31.0% | 18.2% | 2018 |
| Burundi * |
68.4% | 76.3% | 61.2% | 15.1% | 2017 |
| Cape Verde * |
86.8% | 91.7% | 82.0% | 9.7% | 2015 |
| Cambodia * |
80.5% | 86.5% | 75.0% | 11.5% | 2015 |
| Cameroon * |
77.1% | 82.6% | 71.6% | 11.0% | 2018 |
| Canada * |
99.0% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Central African Republic * |
37.4% | 49.5% | 25.8% | 23.7% | 2018 |
| Chad * |
22.3% | 31.3% | 14.0% | 17.3% | 2016 |
| Chile * |
96.3% | 96.3% | 96.3% | 0.0% | 2017 |
| China * |
96.8% | 98.5% | 95.2% | 3.3% | 2018 |
| Colombia * |
95.6% | 95.4% | 95.9% | 0.5% | 2020 |
| Comoros * |
58.8% | 64.6% | 53.0% | 11.6% | 2018 |
| Congo * |
80.3% | 86.1% | 74.6% | 11.5% | 2018 |
| DR Congo * |
77.0% | 88.5% | 66.5% | 22.0% | 2016 |
| Costa Rica * |
97.9% | 97.8% | 97.9% | 0.1% | 2018 |
| Ivory Coast * |
89.9% | 93.1% | 86.7% | 6.4% | 2019 |
| Croatia * |
99.3% | 99.7% | 98.9% | 0.8% | 2015 |
| Cuba * |
99.8% | 99.9% | 99.8% | 0.1% | 2015 |
| Cyprus * |
99.1% | 99.5% | 98.7% | 0.8% | 2015 |
| Czech Republic * |
99.0% | 99.0% | 99.0% | 0.0% | 2011 |
| Denmark * |
99.0% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Djibouti * |
N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Dominica * |
92.0% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Dominican Republic * |
93.8% | 93.8% | 93.8% | 0.0% | 2016 |
| Ecuador * |
93.6% | 94.8% | 92.5% | 2.3% | 2020 |
| Egypt * |
71.2% | 76.5% | 65.5% | 11.0% | 2017 |
| El Salvador * |
89.1% | 91.3% | 87.3% | 4.0% | 2019 |
| Equatorial Guinea * |
95.3% | 97.4% | 93.0% | 4.4% | 2015 |
| Eritrea * |
76.6% | 84.4% | 68.9% | 15.5% | 2018 |
| Estonia * |
99.8% | 99.8% | 99.8% | 0.0% | 2015 |
| Ethiopia * |
51.8% | 57.2% | 44.4% | 12.8% | 2017 |
| Fiji * |
99.1% | 99.1% | 99.1% | 0.0% | 2018 |
| Finland * |
100.0% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| France * |
99.0% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Gabon * |
84.7% | 85.9% | 83.4% | 2.5% | 2018 |
| Gambia * |
50.8% | 61.8% | 41.6% | 20.2% | 2015 |
| Georgia * |
99.6% | 99.7% | 99.5% | 0.2% | 2019 |
| Germany * |
99.0% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Ghana * |
79.0% | 83.5% | 74.5% | 9.0% | 2018 |
| Greece * |
97.9% | 98.5% | 97.4% | 1.1% | 2018 |
| Grenada * |
98.6% | 98.6% | 98.6% | 0.0% | 2014 |
| Guatemala * |
80.8% | 85.3% | 76.7% | 8.6% | 2018 |
| Guinea * |
39.6% | 54.4% | 27.7% | 26.7% | 2018 |
| Guinea-Bissau * |
59.9% | 71.8% | 48.3% | 23.5% | 2015 |
| Guyana * |
88.5% | 87.2% | 89.8% | 2.6% | 2015 |
| Haiti * |
61.7% | 65.3% | 58.3% | 7.0% | 2016 |
| Honduras * |
88.5% | 88.2% | 88.7% | 0.5% | 2019 |
| Hungary * |
99.1% | 99.1% | 99.0% | 0.1% | 2015 |
| Iceland * |
99.0% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| India * |
74.4% | 82.4% | 65.8% | 16.6% | 2011 |
| Indonesia * |
96.0% | 97.4% | 94.6% | 2.8% | 2020 |
| Iran * |
85.5% | 90.4% | 80.8% | 9.6% | 2016 |
| Iraq * |
85.6% | 91.2% | 79.9% | 11.3% | 2017 |
| Ireland * |
99.0% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Israel * |
97.8% | 98.7% | 96.8% | 1.9% | 2011 |
| Italy * |
99.2% | 99.4% | 99.0% | 0.4% | 2018 |
| Jamaica * |
88.7% | 84.0% | 93.1% | 9.1% | 2015 |
| Japan * |
99.0% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Jordan * |
98.2% | 98.6% | 97.8% | 0.8% | 2018 |
| Kazakhstan * |
99.8% | 99.8% | 99.7% | 0.1% | 2018 |
| Kenya * |
81.5% | 85.0% | 78.2% | 6.8% | 2018 |
| Kiribati * |
N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| North Korea * |
100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 0.0% | 2015 |
| South Korea * |
98.0% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Kuwait * |
96.5% | 97.1% | 95.4% | 1.7% | 2020 |
| Kyrgyzstan * |
99.6% | 99.7% | 99.5% | 0.2% | 2018 |
| Laos * |
84.7% | 90.0% | 79.4% | 10.6% | 2015 |
| Latvia * |
99.9% | 99.9% | 99.9% | 0.0% | 2018 |
| Lebanon * |
95.1% | 96.9% | 93.3% | 3.6% | 2018 |
| Lesotho * |
79.4% | 70.1% | 88.3% | 18.2% | 2015 |
| Liberia * |
48.3% | 62.7% | 34.1% | 28.6% | 2017 |
| Libya * |
91.0% | 96.7% | 85.6% | 11.1% | 2015 |
| Liechtenstein * |
100.0% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Lithuania * |
99.8% | 99.8% | 99.8% | 0.0% | 2015 |
| Luxembourg * |
100.0% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Madagascar * |
76.7% | 78.4% | 75.1% | 3.3% | 2018 |
| Malawi * |
62.1% | 69.8% | 55.2% | 14.6% | 2015 |
| Malaysia * |
95.0% | 96.2% | 93.6% | 2.6% | 2019 |
| Maldives * |
97.7% | 97.3% | 98.1% | 0.8% | 2016 |
| Mali * |
35.5% | 46.2% | 25.7% | 20.5% | 2018 |
| Malta * |
94.5% | 93.0% | 96.0% | 3.0% | 2018 |
| Marshall Islands * |
98.3% | 98.3% | 98.2% | 0.1% | 2011 |
| Mauritania * |
53.5% | 63.7% | 43.4% | 20.3% | 2017 |
| Mauritius * |
91.3% | 93.4% | 89.4% | 4.0% | 2018 |
| Mexico * |
95.2% | 96.1% | 94.5% | 1.6% | 2020 |
| Micronesia * |
99.0% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Moldova * |
99.4% | 99.7% | 99.1% | 0.6% | 2015 |
| Monaco * |
99.0% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Mongolia * |
99.2% | 99.1% | 99.2% | 0.1% | 2020 |
| Montenegro * |
98.8% | 99.5% | 98.3% | 1.2% | 2018 |
| Morocco * |
73.8% | 83.3% | 64.6% | 18.7% | 2018 |
| Mozambique * |
60.7% | 72.6% | 50.3% | 22.3% | 2017 |
| Myanmar * |
89.1% | 92.4% | 86.3% | 6.1% | 2019 |
| Namibia * |
91.5% | 91.6% | 91.4% | 0.2% | 2018 |
| Nauru * |
95.0% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Nepal * |
67.9% | 78.6% | 59.7% | 18.9% | 2018 |
| Netherlands * |
99.0% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| New Zealand * |
99.0% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Nicaragua * |
82.6% | 82.4% | 82.8% | 0.4% | 2015 |
| Niger * |
35.1% | 43.6% | 26.7% | 16.9% | 2018 |
| Nigeria * |
62.0% | 71.3% | 52.7% | 18.6% | 2018 |
| North Macedonia * |
98.4% | 99.1% | 97.6% | 1.5% | 2020 |
| Norway * |
100.0% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Oman * |
95.7% | 97.0% | 92.7% | 4.3% | 2018 |
| Pakistan * |
58.0% | 69.3% | 46.5% | 22.8% | 2019 |
| Palau * |
96.6% | 96.8% | 96.3% | 0.5% | 2015 |
| Panama * |
95.7% | 98.8% | 95.4% | 3.4% | 2019 |
| Papua New Guinea * |
64.2% | 65.6% | 62.8% | 2.8% | 2015 |
| Paraguay * |
94.5% | 94.9% | 94.2% | 0.7% | 2020 |
| Peru * |
94.5% | 97.0% | 92.0% | 5.0% | 2020 |
| Philippines * |
96.3% | 95.7% | 96.9% | 1.2% | 2019 |
| Poland * |
99.8% | 99.9% | 99.7% | 0.2% | 2015 |
| Portugal * |
96.1% | 97.4% | 95.1% | 2.3% | 2018 |
| Palestine * |
97%[11] | 99% | 96% | 3% | 2019 |
| Qatar * |
93.5% | 92.4% | 94.7% | 2.3% | 2017 |
| Romania * |
98.8% | 99.1% | 98.6% | 0.5% | 2018 |
| Russia * |
99.7% | 99.7% | 99.7% | 0.0% | 2018 |
| Rwanda * |
73.2% | 77.6% | 69.4% | 8.2% | 2018 |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis * |
97.0% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Saint Lucia * |
90.0% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines * |
96.0% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Samoa * |
99.1% | 99.0% | 99.2% | 0.2% | 2018 |
| San Marino * |
99.9% | 99.9% | 99.9% | 0.0% | 2018 |
| São Tomé and Príncipe * |
92.8% | 96.2% | 89.5% | 6.7% | 2018 |
| Saudi Arabia * |
97.6% | 98.6% | 96.0% | 2.6% | 2020 |
| Senegal * |
51.9% | 64.8% | 39.8% | 25.0% | 2017 |
| Serbia * |
99.5% | 99.9% | 99.1% | 0.8% | 2019 |
| Seychelles |
95.9% | 95.4% | 96.4% | 1.0% | 2018 |
| Sierra Leone * |
43.2% | 51.6% | 39.8% | 11.8% | 2018 |
| Singapore * |
97.5% | 98.9% | 96.1% | 2.8% | 2019 |
| Slovakia * |
100.0% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Slovenia * |
99.7% | 99.7% | 99.7% | 0.0% | 2015 |
| Solomon Islands * |
77.0% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Somalia * |
39.0% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| South Africa * |
95.0% | 95.5% | 94.5% | 1.0% | 2019 |
| South Sudan * |
34.5% | 40.3% | 28.9% | 11.4% | 2018 |
| Spain * |
98.6% | 99.0% | 98.2% | 0.8% | 2020 |
| Sri Lanka * |
92.3% | 93.0% | 91.6% | 1.4% | 2019 |
| Sudan * |
60.7% | 65.4% | 56.1% | 9.3% | 2018 |
| Suriname * |
94.4% | 96.1% | 92.7% | 3.4% | 2018 |
| Eswatini * |
88.4% | 88.3% | 88.5% | 0.2% | 2018 |
| Sweden * |
99.0% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Switzerland * |
99.0% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Syria * |
86.4% | 91.7% | 81.0% | 10.7% | 2015 |
 Taiwan * |
98.70% | 99.73% | 97.69% | 2.05% | 2017 |
| Tajikistan * |
99.8% | 99.8% | 99.7% | 0.1% | 2015 |
| Tanzania * |
77.9% | 83.2% | 73.1% | 10.1% | 2015 |
| Thailand * |
93.8% | 95.2% | 92.4% | 2.8% | 2018 |
| East Timor * |
68.1% | 71.9% | 64.2% | 7.7% | 2018 |
| Togo * |
66.5% | 80.0% | 55.1% | 24.9% | 2019 |
| Tonga * |
99.4% | 99.4% | 99.5% | 0.1% | 2018 |
| Trinidad and Tobago * |
99.0% | 99.2% | 98.7% | 0.5% | 2015 |
| Tunisia * |
81.8% | 89.6% | 74.2% | 15.4% | 2015 |
| Turkey * |
96.7% | 99.1% | 94.4% | 4.7% | 2019 |
| Turkmenistan * |
99.7% | 99.8% | 99.6% | 0.2% | 2015 |
| Tuvalu * |
99.0% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Uganda * |
76.5% | 82.7% | 70.8% | 11.9% | 2018 |
| Ukraine * |
99.8% | 99.8% | 99.7% | 0.1% | 2015 |
| United Arab Emirates * |
97.6% | 98.0% | 96.9% | 1.1% | 2019 |
| United Kingdom * |
99.0% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| United States * |
86.0% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Uruguay * |
98.8% | 98.5% | 99.0% | 0.5% | 2019 |
| Uzbekistan * |
100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 0.0% | 2019 |
| Vanuatu * |
87.5% | 88.3% | 86.7% | 1.6% | 2018 |
| Venezuela * |
97.1% | 97.0% | 97.2% | 0.2% | 2016 |
| Vietnam * |
95.8% | 97.0% | 94.6% | 2.4% | 2019 |
| Yemen * |
70.1% | 85.1% | 55.0% | 30.1% | 2015 |
| Zambia * |
86.7% | 90.6% | 83.1% | 7.5% | 2018 |
| Zimbabwe * |
86.5% | 88.5% | 84.6% | 3.9% | 2015 |
| World | 86.7% | 90.1% | 83.3% | 6.8% | 2020 |
List of other states and territories
edit| Territory | Literacy rate (all) | Male literacy | Female literacy | Gender difference[a] | Year | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aruba |
97.5% | 97.5% | 97.5% | 0.0% | 2015[1] | A constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. |
| Cayman Islands |
98.9% | 98.7% | 99.0% | −0.3% | 2007[1] | An overseas territory of the United Kingdom. |
| Guadeloupe |
96.5% | 96.4% | 96.6% | −0.2% | 2015[1] | Overseas region/department of France. |
| Guam |
99.8% | 99.8% | 99.8% | 0.0% | 2015[1] | An unincorporated and organized territory of the United States. |
 Kosovo |
91.9% | 96.6% | 87.5% | 9.1% | 2003[2] | Member of two UN specialized agencies (World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund). It is claimed by Serbia. |
| Macau |
96.2% | 98.0% | 94.6% | 3.4% | 2015[1] | A special administrative region of China. |
| Martinique |
97.0% | 97.6% | 96.4% | 1.2% | 2015[1] | Overseas region/department of France. |
 New Caledonia |
96.9% | 97.3% | 96.5% | 0.8% | 2015[1] | Overseas region/department of France. |
| Puerto Rico |
93.3% | 92.8% | 93.8% | −1.0% | 2015[1] | Unincorporated territory of the United States. |
| Réunion |
93.9% | 93.2% | 94.5% | −1.3% | 2015[1] | Overseas region/department of France. |
See also
edit- International Literacy Day
- Compulsory education
- List of Indian states and union territories by literacy rate
- List of Brazilian states by literacy rate
- Programme for International Student Assessment, which focuses on developed countries
- Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies
- Progress in International Reading Literacy Study
Notes
edit- ^ A positive value indicates that the male literacy rate is higher. A negative value indicates that the female literacy rate is higher.
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years (both sexes, female, male)". UIS Data Centre. UNESCO. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
- ^ a b "Country Comparison to the World of Literacy Rate". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on June 13, 2007. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
- ^ "UIS Tellmaps". tellmaps.com. Retrieved 2018-11-02.
- ^ "Interview: "Literacy rate in Afghanistan increased to 43 per cent" | UIL". 2021-12-05. Archived from the original on 2021-12-05. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
- ^ "Literacy rate, youth total (% of people ages 15-24) - China | Data". data.worldbank.org. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
- ^ "Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) - China". data.worldbank.org. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
- ^ "Literacy rate, youth (ages 15-24), gender parity index (GPI) - China | Data". data.worldbank.org. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
- ^ "People and Culture: Literacy". Greenland. World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on 13 May 2023.
- ^ a b c "Morocco". uis.unesco.org. 2016-11-27. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
- ^ "UIS Statistics". data.uis.unesco.org. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
- ^ a b c d "Literacy rate, youth total (% of people ages 15-24) - West Bank and Gaza Data". data.worldbank.org. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
- ^ "List of Countries By Literacy Rate". WorldAtlas. 2020-08-12. Retrieved 2022-10-21.
- ^ "Literacy - The World Factbook". www.cia.gov. Retrieved 2022-10-22.
- ^ Report, Star Digital (2022-07-27). "Bangladesh's literacy rate now 74.66%". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2022-11-06.
External links
edit- World Bank – Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above), for historical use.