| Rank (total) | Country | Literacy Rates (Females) (percent) | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andorra | 100.0 | |
| 1 | Finland | 100.0 | 2000 est. |
| 1 | Georgia | 100.0 | 2004 est. |
| 1 | Greenland | 100.0 | 2001 est. |
| 1 | Liechtenstein | 100.0 | |
| 1 | Luxembourg | 100.0 | 2000 est. |
| 1 | Norway | 100.0 | |
| 1 | Vatican City | 100.0 | |
| 9 | Cuba | 99.8 | 2002 census |
| 9 | Estonia | 99.8 | 2000 census |
| 11 | Barbados | 99.7 | 2002 est. |
| 11 | Latvia | 99.7 | 2000 census |
| 11 | Poland | 99.7 | 2003 est. |
| 11 | Samoa | 99.7 | 2003 est. |
| 15 | Lithuania | 99.6 | 2001 census |
| 15 | Slovakia | 99.6 | 2001 est. |
| 15 | Slovenia | 99.6 | |
| 18 | Belarus | 99.4 | 1999 census |
| 19 | Hungary | 99.3 | 2003 est. |
| 19 | Kazakhstan | 99.3 | 1999 est. |
| 21 | Armenia | 99.2 | 2001 census |
| 21 | Russia | 99.2 | 2002 census |
| 21 | Tajikistan | 99.2 | 2000 census |
| 21 | Ukraine | 99.2 | 2001 census |
| 25 | Australia | 99.0 | 2003 est. |
| 25 | Belgium | 99.0 | 2003 est. |
| 25 | Bermuda | 99.0 | 2005 est. |
| 25 | Canada | 99.0 | 2003 est. |
| 25 | Czech Republic | 99.0 | 2003 est. |
| 25 | Denmark | 99.0 | 2003 est. |
| 25 | France | 99.0 | 2003 est. |
| 25 | Germany | 99.0 | 2003 est. |
| 25 | Great Britain & Northern Ireland | 99.0 | 2003 est. |
| 25 | Guam | 99.0 | 1990 est. |
| 25 | Iceland | 99.0 | 2003 est. |
| 25 | Ireland | 99.0 | 2003 est. |
| 25 | Japan | 99.0 | 2002 |
| 25 | Korea (North) | 99.0 | |
| 25 | Monaco | 99.0 | 2003 est. |
| 25 | Netherlands | 99.0 | 2003 est. |
| 25 | New Zealand | 99.0 | 2003 est. |
| 25 | Saint Pierre & Miquelon | 99.0 | 1982 est. |
| 25 | Sweden | 99.0 | 2003 est. |
| 25 | Switzerland | 99.0 | 2003 est. |
| 25 | Tonga | 99.0 | 1999 est. |
| 25 | United States of America | 99.0 | 2003 est. |
| 25 | Uzbekistan | 99.0 | 2003 est. |
| 48 | Moldova | 98.6 | 2005 est. |
| 49 | Guyana | 98.5 | 2003 est. |
| 50 | Uruguay | 98.4 | 2003 est. |
| 51 | Albania | 98.3 | 2001 census |
| 51 | Turkmenistan | 98.3 | 1999 est. |
| 53 | Azerbaijan | 98.2 | 1999 census |
| 54 | Kyrgyzstan | 98.1 | 1999 census |
| 55 | Cayman Islands | 98.0 | 1970 est. |
| 55 | French Polynesia | 98.0 | 1977 est. |
| 55 | Italy | 98.0 | 2001 census |
| 55 | Saint Helena | 98.0 | 1987 est. |
| 55 | Trinidad & Tobago | 98.0 | 2003 est. |
| 55 | Turks & Caicos Islands | 98.0 | 1970 est. |
| 61 | Bulgaria | 97.7 | 2001 census |
| 62 | Mongolia | 97.5 | 2000 census |
| 63 | Argentina | 97.2 | 2001 census |
| 63 | Spain | 97.2 | 2003 est. |
| 65 | Aruba | 97.1 | 2000 census |
| 65 | Croatia | 97.1 | 2001 census |
| 67 | American Samoa | 97.0 | 1980 est. |
| 67 | Montserrat | 97.0 | 1970 est. |
| 69 | Netherlands Antilles | 96.8 | 2003 est. |
| 70 | Korea (South) | 96.6 | 2002 |
| 71 | Bahamas | 96.5 | 2003 est. |
| 72 | Maldives | 96.4 | 2000 census |
| 73 | Cyprus | 96.3 | 2001 census |
| 73 | Romania | 96.3 | 2002 census |
| 75 | Northern Mariana Is. | 96.0 | 1980 est. |
| 75 | Saint Vincent & the Grenadines | 96.0 | 1970 est. |
| 77 | Israel | 95.9 | 2004 est. |
| 78 | Chile | 95.6 | 2002 census |
| 79 | New Caledonia | 95.5 | 1996 census |
| 80 | Costa Rica | 95.1 | 2000 census |
| 81 | Anguilla | 95.0 | 1984 est. |
| 81 | Niue | 95.0 | |
| 81 | San Marino | 95.0 | |
| 84 | Lesotho | 94.5 | 2003 est. |
| 85 | Bosnia & Herzegovina | 94.4 | 2000 est. |
| 85 | Puerto Rico | 94.4 | 2002 est. |
| 87 | Greece | 94.2 | 2001 census |
| 88 | Macedonia | 94.1 | 2002 census |
| 88 | Serbia | 94.1 | 2003 census with Montenegro |
| 90 | Dominica | 94.0 | 2003 est. |
| 91 | Marshall Islands | 93.7 | 1999 |
| 92 | Malta | 93.6 | 2003 est. |
| 93 | Paraguay | 93.0 | 2003 est. |
| 94 | Colombia | 92.7 | 2004 est. |
| 94 | Philippines | 92.7 | 2000 census |
| 94 | Venezuela | 92.7 | 2001 census |
| 97 | Seychelles | 92.3 | 2002 census |
| 98 | Fiji Islands | 91.9 | 2003 est. |
| 99 | Jamaica | 91.6 | 2003 est. |
| 100 | Portugal | 91.3 | 2003 est. |
| 101 | Panama | 91.2 | 2000 census |
| 102 | Kuwait | 91.0 | 2005 census |
| 103 | Saint Lucia | 90.6 | 2001 est. |
| 104 | Thailand | 90.5 | 2000 census |
| 105 | Brunei | 90.2 | 2001 census |
| 106 | Palau | 90.0 | 1980 est. |
| 107 | Ecuador | 89.7 | 2001 census |
| 108 | Hong Kong | 89.6 | 2002 |
| 108 | Mexico | 89.6 | 2004 est. |
| 110 | Sri Lanka | 89.1 | 2001 census |
| 111 | Brazil | 88.8 | 2004 est. |
| 112 | Qatar | 88.6 | 2004 census |
| 112 | Singapore | 88.6 | 2000 census |
| 114 | Micronesia, Federated States of | 88.0 | 1980 est. |
| 114 | Palestinian Territories | 88.0 | 2004 est. |
| 116 | Macau | 87.8 | 2001 census |
| 117 | Dominican Republic | 87.2 | 2002 census |
| 117 | Suriname | 87.2 | 2004 census |
| 117 | Zimbabwe | 87.2 | 2003 est. |
| 120 | Vietnam | 86.9 | 2002 est. |
| 121 | Indonesia | 86.8 | 2004 est. |
| 122 | China | 86.5 | 2000 census |
| 123 | Myanmar | 86.4 | 2006 est. |
| 124 | South Africa | 85.7 | 2003 est. |
| 125 | Malaysia | 85.4 | 2000 census |
| 126 | Jordan | 84.7 | 2003 est. |
| 127 | Bahrain | 83.6 | 2001 census |
| 128 | Namibia | 83.5 | 2001 census |
| 129 | Lebanon | 82.2 | 2003 est. |
| 130 | Peru | 82.1 | 2004 est. |
| 131 | Botswana | 81.8 | 2003 est. |
| 132 | United Arab Emirates | 81.7 | 2003 est. |
| 133 | Swaziland | 80.8 | 2003 est. |
| 134 | Bolivia | 80.7 | 2001 census |
| 135 | Equatorial Guinea | 80.5 | 2000 est. |
| 135 | Mauritius | 80.5 | 2000 census |
| 137 | Honduras | 80.2 | 2001 census |
| 138 | Kenya | 79.7 | 2003 est. |
| 139 | Turkey | 79.6 | 2004 est. |
| 140 | Congo (Republic) | 78.4 | 2003 est. |
| 141 | Sao Tome and Principe | 77.9 | 2001 census |
| 142 | El Salvador | 77.7 | 2003 est. |
| 143 | Belize | 77.1 | 2000 census |
| 144 | Zambia | 74.8 | 2003 est. |
| 145 | Syria | 73.6 | 2004 census |
| 146 | Oman | 73.5 | 2003 census |
| 147 | Libya | 72.0 | 2003 est. |
| 148 | Saudi Arabia | 70.8 | 2003 est. |
| 149 | Iran | 70.4 | 2002 est. |
| 150 | Cape Verde | 69.2 | 2003 est. |
| 151 | Nicaragua | 67.8 | 2003 est. |
| 152 | Tunisia | 65.3 | 2004 census |
| 153 | Rwanda | 64.7 | 2003 est. |
| 154 | Iraq | 64.2 | 2000 est. |
| 155 | Cambodia | 64.1 | 2004 est. |
| 156 | Guatemala | 63.3 | 2002 census |
| 157 | Madagascar | 62.5 | 2003 est. |
| 158 | Tanzania | 62.2 | 2002 census |
| 159 | Laos | 60.9 | 2001 est. |
| 160 | Nigeria | 60.6 | 2003 est. |
| 161 | Algeria | 60.1 | 2002 est. |
| 162 | Cameroon | 59.8 | 2001 est. |
| 163 | Egypt | 59.4 | 2005 est. |
| 164 | Djibouti | 58.4 | 2003 est. |
| 165 | Uganda | 57.7 | 2002 census |
| 166 | Congo (Dem. Rep.) | 55.1 | 2003 est. |
| 167 | Angola | 54.2 | 2001 est. |
| 168 | Gabon | 53.3 | 1995 est. |
| 169 | Burundi | 52.2 | 2000 est. |
| 170 | Haiti | 51.2 | 2003 est. |
| 171 | Papua New Guinea | 50.9 | 2000 census |
| 172 | Sudan | 50.5 | 2003 est. |
| 173 | Wallis and Futuna | 50.0 | 1969 est. |
| 174 | Ghana | 49.8 | 2000 census |
| 174 | Malawi | 49.8 | 2003 est. |
| 176 | Comoros | 49.3 | 2003 est. |
| 177 | India | 47.8 | 2001 census |
| 178 | Eritrea | 47.6 | 2003 est. |
| 179 | Togo | 46.9 | 2003 est. |
| 180 | Mauritania | 43.4 | 2000 census |
| 181 | Liberia | 41.6 | 2003 est. |
| 182 | Mali | 39.6 | 2003 est. |
| 182 | Morocco | 39.6 | 2004 census |
| 184 | Cote d'Ivoire | 38.6 | 2000 est. |
| 185 | Pakistan | 36.0 | 2005 est. |
| 186 | Ethiopia | 35.1 | 2003 est. |
| 187 | Nepal | 34.9 | 2001 census |
| 188 | Bhutan | 34.0 | 2003 est. |
| 189 | Central African Republic | 33.5 | 2000 est. |
| 190 | Gambia | 32.8 | 2003 est. |
| 191 | Mozambique | 32.7 | 2003 est. |
| 192 | Bangladesh | 31.8 | 2003 est. |
| 193 | Yemen | 30.0 | 2003 est. |
| 194 | Senegal | 29.2 | 2002 est. |
| 195 | Guinea-Bissau | 27.4 | 2003 est. |
| 196 | Somalia | 25.8 | 2001 est. |
| 197 | Sierra Leone | 24.4 | 2004 est. |
| 198 | Benin | 23.3 | 2002 census |
| 199 | Guinea | 18.1 | 2003 est. |
| 200 | Burkina Faso | 15.2 | 2003 est. |
| 201 | Niger | 15.1 | 2005 est. |
| 202 | Chad | 12.8 | 2000 est. |
| 203 | Afghanistan | 12.6 | 2000 est. |
| World | 77.0 | 2005 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