Society · World statistics
Adult literacy
World figure
87.7%
% of people aged 15+·2024
Published observationOver time
Full published historyWorld2024 · 87.7%
Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.
170 countries & areas with dataLatest available · years shown in the table
THE BIG PICTURE, IN DETAIL
Download CSVAdult literacy around the world.
% of people aged 15+ · Latest available per country; reporting years may differ.
170 with data · 217 countries & areas
| Rank | Country / area | Region | Year | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Korea, Dem. People's Rep. | East Asia & Pacific | 100% | 2008 | |
| 2 | Tuvalu | East Asia & Pacific | 100% | 2022 | |
| 3 | Uzbekistan | Europe & Central Asia | 100% | 2022 | |
| 4 | Russian Federation | Europe & Central Asia | 99.9% | 2021 | |
| 5 | San Marino | Europe & Central Asia | 99.9% | 2022 | |
| 6 | Latvia | Europe & Central Asia | 99.9% | 2011 | |
| 7 | Turkmenistan | Europe & Central Asia | 99.9% | 2022 | |
| 8 | Estonia | Europe & Central Asia | 99.9% | 2011 | |
| 9 | Belarus | Europe & Central Asia | 99.9% | 2019 | |
| 10 | Palau | East Asia & Pacific | 99.8% | 2020 | |
| 11 | Armenia | Europe & Central Asia | 99.8% | 2023 | |
| 12 | Lithuania | Europe & Central Asia | 99.8% | 2011 | |
| 13 | Azerbaijan | Europe & Central Asia | 99.8% | 2023 | |
| 14 | Kazakhstan | Europe & Central Asia | 99.7% | 2009 | |
| 15 | Tajikistan | Europe & Central Asia | 99.7% | 2009 | |
| 16 | Spain | Europe & Central Asia | 99.7% | 2021 | |
| 17 | Georgia | Europe & Central Asia | 99.7% | 2024 | |
| 18 | Slovenia | Europe & Central Asia | 99.5% | 1991 | |
| 19 | Tonga | East Asia & Pacific | 99.5% | 2023 | |
| 20 | Ukraine | Europe & Central Asia | 99.4% | 2001 | |
| 21 | Guam | East Asia & Pacific | 99.4% | 1990 | |
| 22 | Moldova | Europe & Central Asia | 99.4% | 2014 | |
| 23 | Italy | Europe & Central Asia | 99.3% | 2019 | |
| 24 | Serbia | Europe & Central Asia | 99.3% | 2022 | |
| 25 | Barbados | Latin America & Caribbean | 99.3% | 1970 | |
| 26 | Kyrgyz Republic | Europe & Central Asia | 99.2% | 2009 | |
| 27 | Romania | Europe & Central Asia | 99.2% | 2021 | |
| 28 | Argentina | Latin America & Caribbean | 99.1% | 2020 | |
| 29 | Antigua and Barbuda | Latin America & Caribbean | 98.9% | 2001 | |
| 30 | Uruguay | Latin America & Caribbean | 98.9% | 2024 | |
| 31 | Cayman Islands | Latin America & Caribbean | 98.9% | 2017 | |
| 32 | Hungary | Europe & Central Asia | 98.9% | 1980 | |
| 33 | United Arab Emirates | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 98.8% | 2024 | |
| 34 | Poland | Europe & Central Asia | 98.7% | 1978 | |
| 35 | Cyprus | Europe & Central Asia | 98.7% | 2011 | |
| 36 | Mongolia | East Asia & Pacific | 98.6% | 2024 | |
| 37 | Kiribati | East Asia & Pacific | 98.6% | 2020 | |
| 38 | Montenegro | Europe & Central Asia | 98.5% | 2018 | |
| 39 | Philippines | East Asia & Pacific | 98.5% | 2020 | |
| 40 | Bulgaria | Europe & Central Asia | 98.3% | 2011 | |
| 41 | Maldives | South Asia | 98.2% | 2019 | |
| 42 | Croatia | Europe & Central Asia | 98.2% | 2001 | |
| 43 | Samoa | East Asia & Pacific | 98% | 2019 | |
| 44 | Korea, Rep. | East Asia & Pacific | 98% | 2008 | |
| 45 | West Bank and Gaza | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 97.9% | 2024 | |
| 46 | Saudi Arabia | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 97.9% | 2024 | |
| 47 | Bahrain | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 97.8% | 2024 | |
| 48 | Grenada | Latin America & Caribbean | 97.8% | 1970 | |
| 49 | Qatar | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 97.8% | 2014 | |
| 50 | Albania | Europe & Central Asia | 97.7% | 2023 | |
| 51 | Cuba | Latin America & Caribbean | 97.7% | 2019 | |
| 52 | Singapore | East Asia & Pacific | 97.7% | 2021 | |
| 53 | Costa Rica | Latin America & Caribbean | 97.4% | 2011 | |
| 54 | American Samoa | East Asia & Pacific | 97.3% | 1980 | |
| 55 | Oman | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 97.3% | 2022 | |
| 56 | Turkiye | Europe & Central Asia | 97.3% | 2021 | |
| 57 | Venezuela, RB | Latin America & Caribbean | 97.2% | 2017 | |
| 58 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Europe & Central Asia | 97% | 2013 | |
| 59 | Trinidad and Tobago | Latin America & Caribbean | 96.9% | 1990 | |
| 60 | Aruba | Latin America & Caribbean | 96.8% | 2010 | |
| 61 | China | East Asia & Pacific | 96.7% | 2020 | |
| 62 | Bolivia | Latin America & Caribbean | 96.7% | 2024 | |
| 63 | Naoero | East Asia & Pacific | 96.6% | 2023 | |
| 64 | Macao SAR, China | East Asia & Pacific | 96.5% | 2016 | |
| 65 | Kuwait | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 96.5% | 2020 | |
| 66 | Chile | Latin America & Caribbean | 96.4% | 2017 | |
| 67 | Panama | Latin America & Caribbean | 96.2% | 2024 | |
| 68 | New Caledonia | East Asia & Pacific | 96.1% | 1996 | |
| 69 | North Macedonia | Europe & Central Asia | 96.1% | 2002 | |
| 70 | Viet Nam | East Asia & Pacific | 96.1% | 2022 | |
| 71 | Brunei Darussalam | East Asia & Pacific | 96.1% | 2011 | |
| 72 | Indonesia | East Asia & Pacific | 96% | 2020 | |
| 73 | Malaysia | East Asia & Pacific | 95.8% | 2022 | |
| 74 | Marshall Islands | East Asia & Pacific | 95.8% | 2021 | |
| 75 | St. Vincent and the Grenadines | Latin America & Caribbean | 95.6% | 1970 | |
| 76 | Mexico | Latin America & Caribbean | 95.6% | 2024 | |
| 77 | Colombia | Latin America & Caribbean | 95.3% | 2024 | |
| 78 | Paraguay | Latin America & Caribbean | 94.9% | 2024 | |
| 79 | Brazil | Latin America & Caribbean | 94.7% | 2024 | |
| 80 | Portugal | Europe & Central Asia | 94.5% | 2011 | |
| 81 | Jordan | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 94.4% | 2024 | |
| 82 | Syrian Arab Republic | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 94.4% | 2021 | |
| 83 | Mauritius | Sub-Saharan Africa | 94.3% | 2023 | |
| 84 | Dominican Republic | Latin America & Caribbean | 94% | 2024 | |
| 85 | Seychelles | Sub-Saharan Africa | 93.9% | 2010 | |
| 86 | Greece | Europe & Central Asia | 93.9% | 2009 | |
| 87 | Peru | Latin America & Caribbean | 93.7% | 2024 | |
| 88 | Myanmar | East Asia & Pacific | 93.5% | 2020 | |
| 89 | Ecuador | Latin America & Caribbean | 93.5% | 2024 | |
| 90 | Malta | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 93.3% | 2011 | |
| 91 | Zimbabwe | Sub-Saharan Africa | 93.2% | 2019 | |
| 92 | Suriname | Latin America & Caribbean | 92.9% | 2012 | |
| 93 | Sri Lanka | South Asia | 92.7% | 2024 | |
| 94 | Puerto Rico (US) | Latin America & Caribbean | 92.4% | 2017 | |
| 95 | Lebanon | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 92% | 2019 | |
| 96 | Israel | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 91.8% | 1983 | |
| 97 | South Africa | Sub-Saharan Africa | 91.2% | 2024 | |
| 98 | Thailand | East Asia & Pacific | 91.1% | 2022 | |
| 99 | Eswatini | Sub-Saharan Africa | 90.8% | 2022 | |
| 100 | Lesotho | Sub-Saharan Africa | 90.4% | 2024 | |
| 101 | El Salvador | Latin America & Caribbean | 89.8% | 2024 | |
| 102 | Iran, Islamic Rep. | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 88.9% | 2023 | |
| 103 | Gabon | Sub-Saharan Africa | 88.9% | 2021 | |
| 104 | Cabo Verde | Sub-Saharan Africa | 88.5% | 2024 | |
| 105 | Equatorial Guinea | Sub-Saharan Africa | 88.3% | 2000 | |
| 106 | Honduras | Latin America & Caribbean | 88.3% | 2024 | |
| 107 | Vanuatu | East Asia & Pacific | 88% | 2023 | |
| 108 | Belize | Latin America & Caribbean | 87.9% | 2022 | |
| 109 | Namibia | Sub-Saharan Africa | 87.6% | 2023 | |
| 110 | Sao Tome and Principe | Sub-Saharan Africa | 87.4% | 2019 | |
| 111 | Nicaragua | Latin America & Caribbean | 87.3% | 2014 | |
| 112 | Papua New Guinea | East Asia & Pacific | 87% | 2022 | |
| 113 | Tunisia | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 86.3% | 2023 | |
| 114 | Guyana | Latin America & Caribbean | 85.6% | 2020 | |
| 115 | Iraq | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 84.1% | 2021 | |
| 116 | Kenya | Sub-Saharan Africa | 82.2% | 2000 | |
| 117 | Guatemala | Latin America & Caribbean | 82.1% | 2024 | |
| 118 | Botswana | Sub-Saharan Africa | 81.2% | 2003 | |
| 119 | Jamaica | Latin America & Caribbean | 79.9% | 1999 | |
| 120 | Egypt, Arab Rep. | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 79.5% | 2022 | |
| 121 | Bangladesh | South Asia | 79% | 2022 | |
| 122 | Rwanda | Sub-Saharan Africa | 78.8% | 2022 | |
| 123 | Tanzania | Sub-Saharan Africa | 78.2% | 2022 | |
| 124 | India | South Asia | 78.2% | 2024 | |
| 125 | Uganda | Sub-Saharan Africa | 77% | 2024 | |
| 126 | Solomon Islands | East Asia & Pacific | 76.6% | 1999 | |
| 127 | Ghana | Sub-Saharan Africa | 76.5% | 2021 | |
| 128 | Congo, Rep. | Sub-Saharan Africa | 76.1% | 2005 | |
| 129 | Lao PDR | East Asia & Pacific | 75.6% | 2023 | |
| 130 | Comoros | Sub-Saharan Africa | 75.6% | 2021 | |
| 131 | Algeria | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 75.1% | 2008 | |
| 132 | Madagascar | Sub-Saharan Africa | 74.7% | 2021 | |
| 133 | Togo | Sub-Saharan Africa | 72.6% | 2022 | |
| 134 | Cameroon | Sub-Saharan Africa | 72.6% | 2018 | |
| 135 | Cambodia | East Asia & Pacific | 71.9% | 2021 | |
| 136 | Zambia | Sub-Saharan Africa | 71.8% | 2024 | |
| 137 | Burundi | Sub-Saharan Africa | 71.3% | 2020 | |
| 138 | Nigeria | Sub-Saharan Africa | 70.4% | 2024 | |
| 139 | Malawi | Sub-Saharan Africa | 70.2% | 2020 | |
| 140 | Timor-Leste | East Asia & Pacific | 69.4% | 2022 | |
| 141 | Nepal | South Asia | 68.7% | 2019 | |
| 142 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | Sub-Saharan Africa | 68.5% | 2023 | |
| 143 | Angola | Sub-Saharan Africa | 68.2% | 2023 | |
| 144 | Haiti | Latin America & Caribbean | 68% | 2017 | |
| 145 | Bhutan | South Asia | 64.9% | 2022 | |
| 146 | Eritrea | Sub-Saharan Africa | 64.7% | 2008 | |
| 147 | Morocco | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 64.3% | 2014 | |
| 148 | Guinea-Bissau | Sub-Saharan Africa | 63.9% | 2022 | |
| 149 | Mozambique | Sub-Saharan Africa | 61.7% | 2022 | |
| 150 | Ethiopia | Sub-Saharan Africa | 60.5% | 2022 | |
| 151 | Libya | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 60.2% | 1984 | |
| 152 | Mauritania | Sub-Saharan Africa | 59.5% | 2020 | |
| 153 | Liberia | Sub-Saharan Africa | 59.4% | 2010 | |
| 154 | Pakistan | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 58.9% | 2021 | |
| 155 | Somalia, Fed. Rep. | Sub-Saharan Africa | 54.1% | 2022 | |
| 156 | Sudan | Sub-Saharan Africa | 53.5% | 2008 | |
| 157 | Gambia, The | Sub-Saharan Africa | 51.6% | 2021 | |
| 158 | Benin | Sub-Saharan Africa | 51.4% | 2022 | |
| 159 | Senegal | Sub-Saharan Africa | 50.4% | 2023 | |
| 160 | Cote d'Ivoire | Sub-Saharan Africa | 50% | 2021 | |
| 161 | Sierra Leone | Sub-Saharan Africa | 43.6% | 2019 | |
| 162 | Central African Republic | Sub-Saharan Africa | 42.4% | 2019 | |
| 163 | Burkina Faso | Sub-Saharan Africa | 41.6% | 2023 | |
| 164 | Guinea | Sub-Saharan Africa | 39.6% | 2018 | |
| 165 | Afghanistan | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 37.3% | 2021 | |
| 166 | Yemen, Rep. | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 37.1% | 1994 | |
| 167 | Mali | Sub-Saharan Africa | 35.6% | 2024 | |
| 168 | Niger | Sub-Saharan Africa | 35.6% | 2022 | |
| 169 | Chad | Sub-Saharan Africa | 30.6% | 2019 | |
| 170 | South Sudan | Sub-Saharan Africa | 26.8% | 2008 | |
| — | Andorra | Europe & Central Asia | No data | — | |
| — | Australia | East Asia & Pacific | No data | — | |
| — | Austria | Europe & Central Asia | No data | — | |
| — | Bahamas, The | Latin America & Caribbean | No data | — | |
| — | Belgium | Europe & Central Asia | No data | — | |
| — | Bermuda | North America | No data | — | |
| — | British Virgin Islands | Latin America & Caribbean | No data | — | |
| — | Canada | North America | No data | — | |
| — | Channel Islands | Europe & Central Asia | No data | — | |
| — | Curacao | Latin America & Caribbean | No data | — | |
| — | Czechia | Europe & Central Asia | No data | — | |
| — | Denmark | Europe & Central Asia | No data | — | |
| — | Djibouti | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | No data | — | |
| — | Dominica | Latin America & Caribbean | No data | — | |
| — | Faroe Islands | Europe & Central Asia | No data | — | |
| — | Fiji | East Asia & Pacific | No data | — | |
| — | Finland | Europe & Central Asia | No data | — | |
| — | France | Europe & Central Asia | No data | — | |
| — | French Polynesia | East Asia & Pacific | No data | — | |
| — | Germany | Europe & Central Asia | No data | — | |
| — | Gibraltar | Europe & Central Asia | No data | — | |
| — | Greenland | Europe & Central Asia | No data | — | |
| — | Hong Kong SAR, China | East Asia & Pacific | No data | — | |
| — | Iceland | Europe & Central Asia | No data | — | |
| — | Ireland | Europe & Central Asia | No data | — | |
| — | Isle of Man | Europe & Central Asia | No data | — | |
| — | Japan | East Asia & Pacific | No data | — | |
| — | Kosovo | Europe & Central Asia | No data | — | |
| — | Liechtenstein | Europe & Central Asia | No data | — | |
| — | Luxembourg | Europe & Central Asia | No data | — | |
| — | Micronesia, Fed. Sts. | East Asia & Pacific | No data | — | |
| — | Monaco | Europe & Central Asia | No data | — | |
| — | Netherlands | Europe & Central Asia | No data | — | |
| — | New Zealand | East Asia & Pacific | No data | — | |
| — | Northern Mariana Islands | East Asia & Pacific | No data | — | |
| — | Norway | Europe & Central Asia | No data | — | |
| — | Sint Maarten (Dutch part) | Latin America & Caribbean | No data | — | |
| — | Slovak Republic | Europe & Central Asia | No data | — | |
| — | St. Kitts and Nevis | Latin America & Caribbean | No data | — | |
| — | St. Lucia | Latin America & Caribbean | No data | — | |
| — | St. Martin (French part) | Latin America & Caribbean | No data | — | |
| — | Sweden | Europe & Central Asia | No data | — | |
| — | Switzerland | Europe & Central Asia | No data | — | |
| — | Turks and Caicos Islands | Latin America & Caribbean | No data | — | |
| — | United Kingdom | Europe & Central Asia | No data | — | |
| — | United States | North America | No data | — | |
| — | Virgin Islands (U.S.) | Latin America & Caribbean | No data | — |