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Literacy Rates - world statistics and charts as map, diagram and table

Literacy rates of the countries of the world

Rank
(total)
CountryTotal
(percent)
Date
1Andorra100.02016
1Greenland100.02015
1Korea (North)100.02015
1Uzbekistan100.02016
5Latvia99.92015
5San Marino99.9 
7Azerbaijan99.82017
7Belarus99.82018
7Cuba99.82015
7Estonia99.82015
7Kazakhstan99.82015
7Lithuania99.82015
7Poland99.82015
7Tajikistan99.82015
7Ukraine99.82015
16Armenia99.72017
16Russia99.72018
16Slovenia99.72015
16Turkmenistan99.72015
20Barbados99.62014
20Kyrgyzstan99.62018
22Georgia99.42017
22Moldova99.42015
22Tonga99.42015
25Croatia99.32015
26Italy99.22018
27Cyprus99.12015
27Fiji99.12018
27Hungary99.12015
27Samoa99.12018
31Antigua and Barbuda99.02015
31Argentina99.02018
31Czech Republic99.02011
31Trinidad and Tobago99.02015
35Cayman Islands98.92007
36Montenegro98.82018
36Romania98.82018
38Uruguay98.72018
39Grenada98.62014 est.
40Bosnia and Herzegovina98.52015
40Taiwan98.52014
42Bulgaria98.42015
42Mongolia98.42018
42Spain98.42018
45Marshall Islands98.32011
45Serbia98.32016
47Jordan98.22018
47Philippines98.22015
49Albania98.12018
50Costa Rica97.92018
51Aruba97.82018
51Israel97.82011
51North Macedonia97.82015
54Greece97.72015
54Maldives97.72016
56Bahrain97.52018
57Singapore97.32018
58Brunei97.22018
58Palestinian Territories97.22018
60Venezuela97.12016
61New Caledonia96.92015
62China96.82018
63Palau96.62015
64Macau96.52016
65Chile96.42017
66Turkey96.22017
67Kuwait96.12018
67Portugal96.12018
69Seychelles95.92018
70Indonesia95.72018
70Oman95.72018
72Mexico95.42018
72Panama95.42018
74Equatorial Guinea95.32015
74Saudi Arabia95.32017
76Colombia95.12018
76Lebanon95.12018
78Vietnam95.02018
79Malta94.52018
80Peru94.42018
80Suriname94.42018
82Paraguay94.02018
83Dominican Republic93.82016
83United Arab Emirates93.82015
85Malaysia93.72016
86Qatar93.52017
87Brazil93.22018
88Thailand92.92015
89Ecuador92.82017
89São Tomé and Príncipe92.82018
91Bolivia92.52015
92Puerto Rico92.42017
93Sri Lanka91.92017
94Namibia91.52018
95Mauritius91.32018
96Libya91.02015
97Jamaica88.72015
98Botswana88.52015
98El Salvador88.52017
98Guyana88.52015
101Eswatini88.42015
102Vanuatu87.52018
103Honduras87.22016
104South Africa87.02017
105Cape Verde86.82015
106Zambia86.72018
107Zimbabwe86.52015
108Syria86.42015
109Iran85.52016
110Gabon84.72018
110Laos84.72015
112Nicaragua82.62015
113Tunisia81.82015
114Guatemala81.52015
114Kenya81.52018
116Algeria81.42018
117Cambodia80.52015
118Congo (Republic)80.32018
119Lesotho79.42015
120Tanzania77.92015
121Cameroon77.12018
122Congo (Democratic Republic)77.02016
123Eritrea76.62018
123Ghana76.62015
125Uganda76.52018
126Myanmar (Burma)75.62016
127Madagascar74.82018
128India74.42018
129Bangladesh73.92018
130Morocco73.82018
131Rwanda73.22018
132Egypt71.22017
133Angola71.12015
134Yemen70.12015
135Burundi68.42017
136East Timor68.12018
137Nepal67.92018
138Bhutan66.62017
139Papua New Guinea64.22015
140Togo63.72015
141Malawi62.12015
142Nigeria62.02018
143Haiti61.72016
144Mozambique60.72017
144Sudan60.72018
146Guinea-Bissau59.92015
147Pakistan59.12015
148Comoros58.82018
149Mauritania53.52017
150Senegal51.92017
151Ethiopia51.82017
152Gambia50.82015
153Iraq50.12018
154Liberia48.32017
155Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)47.22018
156Sierra Leone43.22018
157Afghanistan43.02018
158Benin42.42018
159Burkina Faso41.22018
160Central African Republic37.42018
161Mali35.52018
162South Sudan34.52018
163Guinea30.42015
164Chad22.32016
165Niger19.12015
 World86.32016 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)