Rank
(total)
CountryLiteracy Rates (Females)
(percent)
Date
1Andorra100.0 
1Finland100.02000 est.
1Georgia100.02004 est.
1Greenland100.02001 est.
1Liechtenstein100.0 
1Luxembourg100.02000 est.
1Norway100.0 
1Vatican City100.0 
9Cuba99.82002 census
9Estonia99.82000 census
11Barbados99.72002 est.
11Latvia99.72000 census
11Poland99.72003 est.
11Samoa99.72003 est.
15Lithuania99.62001 census
15Slovakia99.62001 est.
15Slovenia99.6 
18Belarus99.41999 census
19Hungary99.32003 est.
19Kazakhstan99.31999 est.
21Armenia99.22001 census
21Russia99.22002 census
21Tajikistan99.22000 census
21Ukraine99.22001 census
25Australia99.02003 est.
25Belgium99.02003 est.
25Bermuda99.02005 est.
25Canada99.02003 est.
25Czech Republic99.02003 est.
25Denmark99.02003 est.
25France99.02003 est.
25Germany99.02003 est.
25Great Britain & Northern Ireland99.02003 est.
25Guam99.01990 est.
25Iceland99.02003 est.
25Ireland99.02003 est.
25Japan99.02002
25Korea (North)99.0 
25Monaco99.02003 est.
25Netherlands99.02003 est.
25New Zealand99.02003 est.
25Saint Pierre & Miquelon99.01982 est.
25Sweden99.02003 est.
25Switzerland99.02003 est.
25Tonga99.01999 est.
25United States of America99.02003 est.
25Uzbekistan99.02003 est.
48Moldova98.62005 est.
49Guyana98.52003 est.
50Uruguay98.42003 est.
51Albania98.32001 census
51Turkmenistan98.31999 est.
53Azerbaijan98.21999 census
54Kyrgyzstan98.11999 census
55Cayman Islands98.01970 est.
55French Polynesia98.01977 est.
55Italy98.02001 census
55Saint Helena98.01987 est.
55Trinidad & Tobago98.02003 est.
55Turks & Caicos Islands98.01970 est.
61Bulgaria97.72001 census
62Mongolia97.52000 census
63Argentina97.22001 census
63Spain97.22003 est.
65Aruba97.12000 census
65Croatia97.12001 census
67American Samoa97.01980 est.
67Montserrat97.01970 est.
69Netherlands Antilles96.82003 est.
70Korea (South)96.62002
71Bahamas96.52003 est.
72Maldives96.42000 census
73Cyprus96.32001 census
73Romania96.32002 census
75Northern Mariana Is.96.01980 est.
75Saint Vincent & the Grenadines96.01970 est.
77Israel95.92004 est.
78Chile95.62002 census
79New Caledonia95.51996 census
80Costa Rica95.12000 census
81Anguilla95.01984 est.
81Niue95.0
81San Marino95.0 
84Lesotho94.52003 est.
85Bosnia & Herzegovina94.42000 est.
85Puerto Rico94.42002 est.
87Greece94.22001 census
88Macedonia94.12002 census
88Serbia94.12003 census with Montenegro
90Dominica94.02003 est.
91Marshall Islands93.71999
92Malta93.62003 est.
93Paraguay93.02003 est.
94Colombia92.72004 est.
94Philippines92.72000 census
94Venezuela92.72001 census
97Seychelles92.32002 census
98Fiji Islands91.92003 est.
99Jamaica91.62003 est.
100Portugal91.32003 est.
101Panama91.22000 census
102Kuwait91.02005 census
103Saint Lucia90.62001 est.
104Thailand90.52000 census
105Brunei90.22001 census
106Palau90.01980 est.
107Ecuador89.72001 census
108Hong Kong89.62002
108Mexico89.62004 est.
110Sri Lanka89.12001 census
111Brazil88.82004 est.
112Qatar88.62004 census
112Singapore88.62000 census
114Micronesia, Federated States of88.01980 est.
114Palestinian Territories88.02004 est.
116Macau87.82001 census
117Dominican Republic87.22002 census
117Suriname87.22004 census
117Zimbabwe87.22003 est.
120Vietnam86.92002 est.
121Indonesia86.82004 est.
122China86.52000 census
123Myanmar86.42006 est.
124South Africa85.72003 est.
125Malaysia85.42000 census
126Jordan84.72003 est.
127Bahrain83.62001 census
128Namibia83.52001 census
129Lebanon82.22003 est.
130Peru82.12004 est.
131Botswana81.82003 est.
132United Arab Emirates81.72003 est.
133Swaziland80.82003 est.
134Bolivia80.72001 census
135Equatorial Guinea80.52000 est.
135Mauritius80.52000 census
137Honduras80.22001 census
138Kenya79.72003 est.
139Turkey79.62004 est.
140Congo (Republic)78.42003 est.
141Sao Tome and Principe77.92001 census
142El Salvador77.72003 est.
143Belize77.12000 census
144Zambia74.82003 est.
145Syria73.62004 census
146Oman73.52003 census
147Libya72.02003 est.
148Saudi Arabia70.82003 est.
149Iran70.42002 est.
150Cape Verde69.22003 est.
151Nicaragua67.82003 est.
152Tunisia65.32004 census
153Rwanda64.72003 est.
154Iraq64.22000 est.
155Cambodia64.12004 est.
156Guatemala63.32002 census
157Madagascar62.52003 est.
158Tanzania62.22002 census
159Laos60.92001 est.
160Nigeria60.62003 est.
161Algeria60.12002 est.
162Cameroon59.82001 est.
163Egypt59.42005 est.
164Djibouti58.42003 est.
165Uganda57.72002 census
166Congo (Dem. Rep.)55.12003 est.
167Angola54.22001 est.
168Gabon53.31995 est.
169Burundi52.22000 est.
170Haiti51.22003 est.
171Papua New Guinea50.92000 census
172Sudan50.52003 est.
173Wallis and Futuna50.01969 est.
174Ghana49.82000 census
174Malawi49.82003 est.
176Comoros49.32003 est.
177India47.82001 census
178Eritrea47.62003 est.
179Togo46.92003 est.
180Mauritania43.42000 census
181Liberia41.62003 est.
182Mali39.62003 est.
182Morocco39.62004 census
184Cote d'Ivoire38.62000 est.
185Pakistan36.02005 est.
186Ethiopia35.12003 est.
187Nepal34.92001 census
188Bhutan34.02003 est.
189Central African Republic33.52000 est.
190Gambia32.82003 est.
191Mozambique32.72003 est.
192Bangladesh31.82003 est.
193Yemen30.02003 est.
194Senegal29.22002 est.
195Guinea-Bissau27.42003 est.
196Somalia25.82001 est.
197Sierra Leone24.42004 est.
198Benin23.32002 census
199Guinea18.12003 est.
200Burkina Faso15.22003 est.
201Niger15.12005 est.
202Chad12.82000 est.
203Afghanistan12.62000 est.
 World77.02005 est.

For non-listed countries is no information available.

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 (2008-07-24)

(c) Thomas Brinkhoff, 2008-07-27