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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
1Andorra100.0NA
1Finland100.02000 est.
1Greenland100.02001 est.
1Liechtenstein100.0NA
1Luxembourg100.02000 est.
1Norway100.0NA
1Vatican City100.0NA
8Azerbaijan99.82010 census
8Cuba99.82002 census
8Estonia99.82010 census
8Latvia99.82010 est.
12Barbados99.72002 est.
12Georgia99.72010 est.
12Lithuania99.72010 est.
12Samoa99.72003 est.
12Slovenia99.72010 est.
12Tajikistan99.72010 est.
12Ukraine99.72010 est.
19Armenia99.62010 est.
19Belarus99.62009 census
19Russia99.62010 est.
19Slovakia99.62004
23Kazakhstan99.51999 est.
23Poland99.52010 est.
25Uzbekistan99.32003 est.
26Australia99.02003 est.
26Belgium99.02003 est.
26Canada99.02003 est.
26Czech Republic99.02003 est.
26Denmark99.02003 est.
26France99.02003 est.
26Germany99.02003 est.
26Great Britain & Northern Ireland99.02003 est.
26Guam99.01990 est.
26Hungary99.02010 est.
26Iceland99.02003 est.
26Ireland99.02003 est.
26Japan99.02002
26Korea (North)99.01991 est.
26Monaco99.02003 est.
26Netherlands99.02003 est.
26New Zealand99.02003 est.
26Saint Pierre & Miquelon99.01982 est.
26Sweden99.02003 est.
26Switzerland99.02003 est.
26United States of America99.02003 est.
47Tonga98.91999 est.
48Croatia98.82010 est.
48Turkmenistan98.81999 est.
50Albania98.72001 census
50Kyrgyzstan98.71999 census
52Trinidad & Tobago98.62003 est.
53Moldova98.52010 est.
54Bulgaria98.42011
54Italy98.42001 census
54Montenegro98.42010 est.
57Austria98.0NA
57Bermuda98.02005 est.
57Cayman Islands98.01970 est.
57French Polynesia98.01977 est.
57Turks & Caicos Islands98.01970 est.
57Uruguay98.02003 est.
63Bosnia & Herzegovina97.92010 est.
63Korea (South)97.92002
63Serbia97.92010 est.
66British Virgin Islands97.81991 est.
66Saint Kitts & Nevis97.82003 est.
68Romania97.72010 est.
68Spain97.72010 est.
70Cyprus97.62001 census
71Mongolia97.42010 est.
72Aruba97.32000 census
72Macedonia97.32010 est.
74Argentina97.22001 census
75Israel97.12004 est.
76American Samoa97.01980 est.
76Montserrat97.01970 est.
76Northern Mariana Is.97.01980 est.
76Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha97.01987 est.
80Qatar96.32010 est.
81New Caledonia96.21996 census
82Taiwan (Rep. of China)96.12003
83Greece96.02001 census
83Grenada96.02003 est.
83Saint Vincent & the Grenadines96.01970 est.
83San Marino96.0NA
87Chile95.72002 census
88Bahamas95.62003 est.
89Portugal95.22010 est.
90Anguilla95.01984 est.
90Cook Islands95.0NA
90Niue95.0NA
93Costa Rica94.92000 census
94Bahrain94.62010 census
95Puerto Rico94.12002 est.
96Dominica94.02003 est.
96Paraguay94.02003 est.
96Vietnam94.02002 est.
99Equatorial Guinea93.92010 est.
100Maldives93.82006 Census
101Fiji Islands93.72003 est.
101Marshall Islands93.71999
103Hong Kong93.52002
104Kuwait93.32005 census
105Venezuela93.02001 census
106Peru92.92007 Census
107Malta92.82005 Census
108Brunei92.72001 census
109Jordan92.62010 est.
109Philippines92.62000 census
109Thailand92.62000 census
112Singapore92.52000 census
113Palestinian Territories92.42004 est.
114China92.22007
115Palau92.01980 est.
116Kosovo91.92007 Census
116Panama91.92000 census
118Guyana91.82002 Census
118Seychelles91.82002 census
120Macau91.32001 census
121Sri Lanka91.22010 census
122Ecuador91.02001 census
123Zimbabwe90.72003 est.
124Colombia90.42005 census
124Indonesia90.42004 est.
126Saint Lucia90.12001 est.
127Myanmar89.92006 est.
128Lesotho89.62010 est.
128Suriname89.62004 census
130Libya89.22010 est.
131Micronesia, Federated States of89.01980 est.
132Namibia88.82010 est.
133Malaysia88.72000 census
134Brazil88.62004 est.
135Mauritius88.52010 est.
136Gabon88.42010 est.
137Jamaica87.92003 est.
138Kenya87.42010 est.
138Lebanon87.42003 est.
138Turkey87.42004 est.
141Dominican Republic87.02002 census
142Bolivia86.72001 census
143Saudi Arabia86.62010 est.
144South Africa86.42003 est.
145Mexico86.12005 Census
146Antigua & Barbuda85.82003 est.
147Sao Tome and Principe84.92001 census
148Botswana84.52010 est.
149Cape Verde84.32010 est.
150Congo (Republic)83.82003 est.
151Swaziland81.62003 est.
152Oman81.42003 census
153El Salvador81.12007 census
154Zambia80.62003 est.
155Gibraltar80.0NA
155Honduras80.02001 census
157Syria79.62004 census
158Iraq78.22010 est.
159United Arab Emirates77.92003 est.
160Iran77.02002 est.
161Belize76.92000 census
162Cameroon75.92001 est.
163Comoros74.92010 est.
164Malawi74.82010 est.
165Tunisia74.32004 census
166Vanuatu74.01999 census
167Cambodia73.62004 est.
168Laos73.02005 Census
169Egypt72.02010 est.
170Rwanda71.12010 est.
171Angola70.12010 est.
172Algeria69.92002 est.
173Tanzania69.42002 census
174Guatemala69.12002 census
175Djibouti67.92003 est.
176Eritrea67.82010 est.
177Nicaragua67.52003 est.
178Ghana67.32010 census
179Burundi67.22010 est.
180Congo (Dem. Rep.)66.82010 est.
180Uganda66.82002 census
182Madagascar64.52009 est.
183Yemen63.92010 est.
184Nigeria61.32010 est.
185Sudan61.12003 est.
186India61.02001 census
187Togo60.92003 est.
188Liberia60.82010 est.
189Nepal60.32010 census
190East Timor58.62002
191Mauritania58.02010 est.
192Papua New Guinea57.32000 census
193Bangladesh56.82010 est.
194Cote d'Ivoire56.22010 est.
195Morocco56.12009 est.
195Mozambique56.12010 est.
197Central African Republic56.02010 est.
198Pakistan54.92009 est.
199Guinea-Bissau54.22010 est.
200Haiti52.92003 est.
201Gambia50.02010 est.
201Wallis and Futuna50.01969 est.
203Bhutan47.02003 est.
204Ethiopia42.72003 est.
205Benin42.42010 census
206Guinea41.02010 est.
207Senegal39.32002 est.
208Somalia37.82001 est.
209Sierra Leone35.12004 est.
210Chad34.52010 est.
211Mali31.12010 est.
212Niger28.72005 est.
213Afghanistan28.12000 est.
214South Sudan27.0NA
215Burkina Faso21.82003 est.
 World83.72005 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 (2012-10-10)