List of countries by literacy rate

Last updated September 29, 2025

This is a list of countries by literacy rate.

The global literacy rate for all people aged 15 and above is 86.3%. The global literacy rate for all males is 90.0%, and the rate for all females is 82.7%. The rate varies throughout the world, with developed nations having a rate of 99.2% (2013), South and West Asia having 70.2% (2015), and sub-Saharan Africa at 64.0% (2015).^[1] Over 75% of the world's 781 million illiterate adults are found in South Asia, West Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa, and women represent almost two-thirds of all illiterate adults globally.^[2]

List of UN member states by age group and gender disparity

Data published by UNESCO using the following definitions:^[3]

Youth: Percentage of people aged 15 to 24 years who can both read and write, with understanding, a short simple statement on their everyday life. Generally, "literacy" also encompasses "numeracy", the ability to make simple arithmetic calculations.
Adult: Percentage of the population aged 25 years and over who can both read and write, with understanding, a short simple statement on his/her everyday life. Generally, "literacy" also encompasses "numeracy", the ability to make simple arithmetic calculations.
Elderly: Percentage of the population aged 65 years and over who can both read and write, with understanding, a short simple statement on their everyday life. Generally, "literacy" also encompasses "numeracy", the ability to make simple arithmetic calculations.
Gender Parity Index (GPI): The gender parity index (GPI) of the youth literacy rate is the ratio of the female to male literacy rates of the population aged 15 to 24 years. A GPI value between 0.97 and 1.03 is usually interpreted to indicate gender parity.

"*"indicates "Literacy in country or territory" or "Education in country or territory" links.

Country	Youth (15 to 24)		Adult (25+)		Elderly (65+)		Youth Gender Parity Index
Country	Rate	Year	Rate	Year	Rate	Year	Rate	Year
Afghanistan *	65.0	2020^[4]	31.7	2011	20.3	2011	0.5	2011
Albania *	99.2	2012	97.2	2012	86.9	2012	1.0	2012
Algeria *	93.8	2008	75.1	2008	19.5	2008	1.0	2008
American Samoa *	97.7	1980	97.3	1980	92.7	1980	1.0	1980
Andorra *
Angola *	77.4	2014	66.0	2014	27.0	2014	0.8	2014
Anguilla *	99.1	1984	95.4	1984	88.0	1984	1.0	1984
Antigua and Barbuda *			98.9	2015
Argentina *	99.5	2016	99.1	2016	97.9	2016	1.0	2016
Armenia *	99.8	2011	99.7	2011	98.9	2011	1.0	2011
Aruba *	99.1	2010	96.8	2010	88.9	2010	1.0	2010
Australia *	96.6
Austria *
Azerbaijan *	99.9	2016	99.8	2016	98.4	2016	1.0	2016
Bahamas
Bahrain *	97.0	2001	86.5	2001	42.3	2001	1.0	2001
Bangladesh *	94.9	2019	74.7	2019	39.4	2019	1.03	2019
Barbados *	99.9	2014	99.6	2014	98.5	2014	1.0	2014
Belarus *	99.8	2009	99.6	2009	98.6	2009	1.0	2009
Belgium *
Belize *	77.6	1991	70.3	1991	44.8	1991	1.0	1991
Benin *	52.5	2012	32.9	2012	7.0	2012	0.6	2012
Bermuda *
Bhutan *	87.3	2012	57.0	2012	14.9	2012	0.9	2012
Bolivia *	99.4	2015	92.5	2015	67.5	2015	1.0	2015
Bonaire
Bosnia and Herzegovina *	99.7	2013	97.0	2013	86.0	2013	1.0	2013
Botswana *	97.7	2014	87.7	2014	40.7	2014	1.0	2014
Brazil *	99.7	2020	92.0	2015	74.3	2015	1.0	2015
British Virgin Islands *
Brunei *	99.4	2011	96.1	2011	61.6	2011	1.0	2011
Bulgaria *	97.9	2011	98.4	2011	97.5	2011	1.0	2011
Burkina Faso *	50.1	2014	34.6	2014	8.4	2014	0.8	2014
Burundi *	79.6	2014	61.6	2014	24.9	2014	0.9	2014
Cape Verde *	98.1	2015	86.8	2015	36.8	2015	1.0	2015
Cambodia *	92.2	2015	80.5	2015	53.1	2015	1.0	2015
Cameroon *	80.6	2010	71.3	2010	26.1	2010	0.9	2010
Canada *
Cayman Islands *	98.9	2007	98.9	2007	94.7	2007	1.0	2007
Central African Republic *	36.4	2010	36.8	2010	35.7	2010	0.6	2010
Chad *	30.8	2016	22.3	2016	7.0	2016	0.6	2016
Chile *	99.4	2015	96.9	2015	89.9	2015	1.0	2015
China *	99.8^[5]	2018	96.8^[6]	2018	73.9	2010	1.0^[7]	2018
Hong Kong *
Macau *	99.8	2016	96.5	2016	81.2	2016	1.0	2016
Colombia *	98.7	2016	94.7	2016	81.4	2016	1.0	2016
Comoros *	71.6	2012	49.2	2012	12.8	2012	0.9	2012
Congo *	80.9	2011	79.3	2011	73.1	2011	0.9	2011
DR Congo *	85.0	2016	77.0	2016	48.0	2016	0.9	2016
Cook Islands *
Costa Rica *	99.1	2011	97.4	2011	90.4	2011	1.0	2011
Ivory Coast *	53.0	2014	43.9	2014	18.0	2014	0.8	2014
Croatia *	99.7	2011	99.1	2011	97.1	2011	1.0	2011
Cuba *	99.9	2012	99.8	2012	99.2	2012	1.0	2012
Curaçao
Cyprus *	99.8	2011	98.7	2011	93.8	2011	1.0	2011
Czech Republic *
Denmark *
Djibouti *
Dominica *
Dominican Republic *	98.8	2016	93.8	2016	79.8	2016	1.0	2016
Ecuador *	99.1	2016	94.4	2016	77.7	2016	1.0	2016
Egypt *	93.9	2017	71.2	2017	43.2	2013	1.0	2017
El Salvador *	98.0	2016	88.5	2017	65.7	2016	1.0	2016
Equatorial Guinea *	98.2	2014	95.0	2014	67.2	2014	1.0	2014
Eritrea *	87.0	2008	64.7	2008	20.9	2008	0.9	2008
Estonia *	99.9	2011	99.9	2011	99.7	2011	1.0	2011
Eswatini *	93.5	2010	83.1	2010	45.2	2010	1.0	2010
Ethiopia *	55.0	2007	39.0	2007	13.6	2007	0.7	2007
Faroe Islands *
Falkland Islands *
Fiji *
Finland *
France *
French Guiana *	91.3	1982	82.9	1982	69.7	1982
French Polynesia *
Gabon *	88.5	2012	82.3	2012	60.6	2012	1.0	2012
Gambia *	60.8	2013	42.0	2013	10.4	2013	0.9	2013
Georgia *	99.7	2014	99.6	2014	99.1	2014	1.0	2014
Germany *
Ghana *	85.7	2010	71.5	2010	34.9	2010	0.9	2010
Gibraltar *
Greece *	98.8	2011	97.4	2011	92.5	2011	1.0	2011
Greenland * ^[8]	100.0	2015					1.0	2015
Grenada *	99.2	2014	98.6	2014	96.2	2014	1.0	2014
Guadeloupe *	99.8	2014	96.0	2014	82.9	2014	1.0	2014
Guam *	99.9	1990	99.4	1990	95.9	1990	1.0	1990
Guatemala *	94.4	2014	81.3	2014	50.7	2014	1.0	2014
Guinea *	46.3	2014	32.0	2014	13.1	2014	0.7	2014
Guinea-Bissau *	60.4	2014	45.6	2014	19.5	2014	0.7	2014
Guyana *	96.7	2014	85.6	2014	49.9	2014	1.0	2014
Haiti *	72.3	2006	48.7	2006	8.5	2006	0.9	2006
Holy See
Honduras *	96.1	2016	89.0	2016	66.3	2016	1.0	2016
Hungary *	98.8	2014	99.1	2014	99.1	2014	1.0	2014
Iceland *
India *	95.7	2018	75.4	2018	45.4	2018	0.97	2018
Indonesia *	99.7	2016	95.4	2016	70.1	2016	1.0	2016
Iran *	98.1	2016	85.5	2016	36.8	2016	1.0	2016
Iraq *	93.5	2017	85.6	2017	20.4	2013	0.9	2013
Ireland *
Isle of Man *
Israel *	98.6	1983	91.8	1983	79.8	1983	1.0	1983
Italy *	99.9	2011	98.8	2011	96.7	2011	1.0	2011
Jamaica *	96.3	2014	88.1	2014	66.6	2014	1.1	2014
Japan *
Jordan *	99.1	2012	97.9	2012	87.7	2012	1.0	2012
Kazakhstan *	99.9	2010	99.8	2010	99.5	2010	1.0	2010
Kenya *	86.5	2014	78.7	2014	54.0	2014	1.0	2014
Kiribati *
North Korea *	100.0	2008	100.0	2008	100.0	2008	1.0	2008
South Korea *
Kuwait *	99.2	2017	96.1	2018	69.5	2015	1.0	2017
Kyrgyzstan *	99.8	2009	99.2	2009	92.5	2009	1.0	2009
Laos *	92.5	2015	84.7	2015	58.6	2015	1.0	2015
Latvia *	99.8	2011	99.9	2011	99.9	2011	1.0	2011
Lebanon *	99.2	2009	91.2	2009	60.2	2009	1.0	2009
Lesotho *	86.6	2014	76.6	2014	51.4	2014	1.2	2014
Liberia *	49.1	2007	42.9	2007	32.8	2007	0.6	2007
Libya *	99.6	2004	86.1	2004	24.2	2004	1.0	2004
Liechtenstein *
Lithuania *	99.9	2011	99.8	2011	99.8	2011	1.0	2011
Luxembourg *
Madagascar *	76.8	2012	71.6	2012	49.4	2012	1.0	2012
Malawi *	72.9	2015	62.1	2015	35.1	2015	1.0	2015
Malaysia *	98.2	2001	89.5	2001	47.1	2001	1.0	2001
Maldives *	99.3	2014	98.6	2014	92.8	2014	1.0	2014
Mali *	49.4	2015	33.1	2015	13.6	2015	0.6	2015
Malta *	98.9	2011	93.3	2011	85.8	2011	1.0	2011
Marshall Islands *	98.5	2011	98.3	2011	89.4	2011	1.0	2011
Martinique	99.8	2014	96.9	2014	88.1	2014	1.0	2014
Mauritania *	56.1	2007	45.5	2007	26.6	2007	0.7	2007
Mauritius *	98.1	2011	93.2	2016	64.6	2011	1.0	2011
Mayotte
Mexico *	99.1	2016	94.9	2016	78.9	2016	1.0	2016
Micronesia *
Monaco *
Mongolia *	98.5	2010	98.3	2010	94.6	2010	1.0	2010
Montenegro *	99.2	2011	98.4	2011	93.9	2011	1.0	2011
Montserrat *
Morocco *	97.7^[9]	2018	73.8^[9]	2018	34.1^[9]	2018	0.99^[10]	2018
Mozambique *	70.5	2015	56.0	2015	26.0	2015	0.8	2015
Myanmar *	84.8	2016	75.6	2016	58.2	2016	1.0	2016
Namibia *	94.4	2011	88.3	2011	56.7	2011	1.0	2011
Nauru *
Nepal *	84.8	2011	68	2018	20.8	2011	0.9	2011
Netherlands *
New Caledonia	99.2	2014	97.8	2014	90.6	2014	1.0	2014
New Zealand *
Nicaragua *	87.0	2005	78.0	2005	49.2	2005	1.0	2005
Niger *	39.8	2012	30.6	2012	13.7	2012	0.7	2012
Nigeria *	66.4	2008	51.1	2008	21.6	2008	0.8	2008
Niue *
North Macedonia *	98.7	2002	96.1	2002	82.5	2002	1.0	2002
Northern Mariana Islands *
Norway *
Oman *	98.7	2017	96.1	2017	41.9	2016	1.0	2017
Pakistan *	74.5	2017	59.1	2017	27.1	2017	0.83	2017
Palau *	98.7	2015	96.6	2015	84.7	2015	1.0	2015
Palestine	99^[11]	2020	97^[11]	2019	63.9	2016	1.13^[11]	2016
Panama *	97.6	2010	94.1	2010	80.9	2010	1.0	2010
Papua New Guinea *	67.9	2010	61.6	2010	33.0	2010	1.1	2010
Paraguay *	98.5	2016	94.7	2016	77.8	2016	1.0	2016
Peru *	98.9	2016	94.1	2017	77.7	2016	1.0	2016
Philippines *	98.1	2013	96.4	2013	90.1	2013	1.0	2013
Pitcairn Islands
Poland *	99.8	2008	98.7	2008	93.0	2008	1.0	2008
Portugal *	99.4	2011	94.5	2011	80.5	2011	1.0	2011
Puerto Rico *	98.8	2010	92.4	2017	84.5	2010	1.0	2010
Qatar *	95.9	2004	89.0	2004	41.0	2004	1.0	2004
Moldova *	99.5	2012	99.1	2012	95.8	2012	1.0	2012
Romania *	99.0	2011	98.6	2011	96.8	2011	1.0	2011
Russia *	99.7	2010	99.7	2010	99.2	2010	1.0	2010
Rwanda *	85.1	2014	70.8	2014	24.3	2014	1.0	2014
Réunion	95.7	1982	78.6	1982	42.0	1982	1.0	1982
Saint Helena *			96.0	1998
Saint Kitts and Nevis *
Saint Lucia *
Saint Pierre and Miquelon	99.5	1982	99.3	1982	98.5	1982	1.0	1982
Saint Martin
Samoa *	99.2	2011	99.0	2011	96.3	2011	1.0	2011
San Marino *
São Tomé and Príncipe *	96.7	2012	90.1	2012	49.6	2012	1.0	2012
Saudi Arabia *	99.2	2013	94.4	2013	51.4	2013	1.0	2013
Senegal *	69.5	2017	51.9	2017	21.5	2013	0.8	2017
Serbia *	99.7	2016	98.8	2016	96.6	2016	1.0	2016
Seychelles	99.0	2010	94.0	2010	71.5	2010	1.0	2010
Sierra Leone *	57.0	2013	32.4	2013	3.7	2013	0.8	2013
Singapore *	99.9	2016	97.0	2016	84.0	2015	1.0	2016
Sint Maarten
Slovakia *
Slovenia *	99.8	2014	99.7	2014	99.3	2014	1.0	2014
Solomon Islands *			76.6	1999
Somalia *
South Africa *	99.0	2015	94.4	2015	72.1	2015	1.0	2015
South Sudan *	36.7	2008	26.8	2008	11.0	2008	0.7	2008
Spain *	99.6	2016	98.3	2016	94.7	2016	1.0	2016
Sri Lanka *	98.9	2017	91.9	2017	81.0	2016	1.0	2017
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines *	98.0	1970	95.6	1970	91.0	1970	1.0	1970
Sudan *	65.8	2008	53.5	2008	24.3	2008	0.9	2008
Suriname *	97.7	2012	92.9	2012	76.0	2012	1.0	2012
Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Sweden *
Switzerland *
Syria *	92.5	2004	80.8	2004	39.0	2004	1.0	2004
Tajikistan *	99.9	2014	99.8	2014	98.1	2014	1.0	2014
Tanzania *	85.8	2015	77.9	2015	43.5	2015	1.0	2015
Thailand *	98.1	2015	92.9	2015	78.7	2015	1.0	2015
Timor-Leste *	79.5	2010	58.3	2010	11.2	2010	1.0	2010
Togo *	84.3	2015	63.7	2015	20.4	2015	0.9	2015
Tokelau *
Tonga *	99.4	2011	99.4	2011	98.9	2011	1.0	2011
Trinidad and Tobago *	99.3	1990	96.9	1990	82.8	1990	1.0	1990
Tunisia *	96.2	2014	79.0	2014	39.8	2014	1.0	2014
Turkey *	99.6	2016	96.2	2016	88.1	2016	1.0	2016
Turkmenistan *	99.8	2014	99.7	2014	97.6	2014	1.0	2014
Turks and Caicos Islands
Tuvalu *
Uganda *	83.7	2012	70.2	2012	36.1	2012	1.0	2012
Ukraine *	100.0	2012	100.0	2012	100.0	2012	1.0	2012
United Arab Emirates *	95.0	2005	90.0	2005	42.1	2005	1.0	2005
United Kingdom *
United States *
U.S. Virgin Islands *
Uruguay *	98.9	2017	98.6	2017	97.1	2016	1.0	2017
Uzbekistan *	100.0	2016	100.0	2016	99.8	2016	1.0	2016
Vanuatu *	95.3	2014	84.7	2014	44.2	2014	1.0	2014
Venezuela *	98.8	2016	97.1	2016	88.1	2016	1.0	2016
Vietnam *	97.1	2009	95.8	2019	76.9	2009	1.0	2009
Wallis and Futuna
Western Sahara
Yemen *	77.0	2004	54.1	2004	13.7	2004	0.7	2004
Zambia *	88.7	2010	83.0	2010	52.3	2010	0.9	2010
Zimbabwe *	90.4	2014	88.7	2014	81.1	2014	1.1	2014

List of UN member and observer states by adult literacy rate

"*"indicates "Literacy in country or territory" or "Education in country or territory" links.

Country	Literacy rate^[12]^[13]^{[ text–source integrity? ]}
Country	Total	Male	Female	Gender gap	Year
Afghanistan *	37.3%	52.1%	22.6%	29.5%	2021
Albania *	98.1%	98.5%	97.8%	0.7%	2018
Algeria *	81.4%	87.4%	75.3%	12.1%	2018
Andorra *	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	0.0%	2016
Angola *	71.1%	82.0%	60.7%	21.3%	2015
Antigua and Barbuda *	99.0%	98.4%	99.4%	1.0%	2015
Argentina *	99.0%	98.9%	99.1%	0.2%	2018
Armenia *	99.8%	99.8%	99.7%	0.1%	2020
Australia *	99.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Austria *	98.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Azerbaijan *	99.8%	99.9%	99.7%	0.2%	2019
Bahamas	96.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Bahrain *	97.5%	99.9%	94.9%	5.0%	2018
Bangladesh *	74.66%	76.56%	72.82%	3.72%	2022^[14]
Barbados *	99.6%	99.6%	99.6%	0.0%	2014
Belarus *	99.9%	99.9%	99.9%	0.0%	2019
Belgium *	99.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Belize *	83.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Benin *	42.4%	54.0%	31.1%	22.9%	2018
Bhutan *	66.6%	75.0%	57.1%	17.9%	2017
Bolivia *	92.5%	96.5%	88.6%	7.9%	2015
Bosnia and Herzegovina *	98.5%	99.5%	97.5%	2.0%	2015
Botswana *	88.5%	88.0%	88.9%	0.9%	2015
Brazil *	93.2%	93.0%	93.4%	0.4%	2018
Brunei *	97.2%	98.1%	93.4%	4.7%	2018
Bulgaria *	98.4%	98.7%	98.1%	0.6%	2015
Burkina Faso *	39.3%	49.2%	31.0%	18.2%	2018
Burundi *	68.4%	76.3%	61.2%	15.1%	2017
Cape Verde *	86.8%	91.7%	82.0%	9.7%	2015
Cambodia *	80.5%	86.5%	75.0%	11.5%	2015
Cameroon *	77.1%	82.6%	71.6%	11.0%	2018
Canada *	99.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Central African Republic *	37.4%	49.5%	25.8%	23.7%	2018
Chad *	22.3%	31.3%	14.0%	17.3%	2016
Chile *	96.3%	96.3%	96.3%	0.0%	2017
China *	96.8%	98.5%	95.2%	3.3%	2018
Colombia *	95.6%	95.4%	95.9%	0.5%	2020
Comoros *	58.8%	64.6%	53.0%	11.6%	2018
Congo *	80.3%	86.1%	74.6%	11.5%	2018
DR Congo *	77.0%	88.5%	66.5%	22.0%	2016
Costa Rica *	97.9%	97.8%	97.9%	0.1%	2018
Ivory Coast *	89.9%	93.1%	86.7%	6.4%	2019
Croatia *	99.3%	99.7%	98.9%	0.8%	2015
Cuba *	99.8%	99.9%	99.8%	0.1%	2015
Cyprus *	99.1%	99.5%	98.7%	0.8%	2015
Czech Republic *	99.0%	99.0%	99.0%	0.0%	2011
Denmark *	99.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Djibouti *	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Dominica *	92.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Dominican Republic *	93.8%	93.8%	93.8%	0.0%	2016
Ecuador *	93.6%	94.8%	92.5%	2.3%	2020
Egypt *	71.2%	76.5%	65.5%	11.0%	2017
El Salvador *	89.1%	91.3%	87.3%	4.0%	2019
Equatorial Guinea *	95.3%	97.4%	93.0%	4.4%	2015
Eritrea *	76.6%	84.4%	68.9%	15.5%	2018
Estonia *	99.8%	99.8%	99.8%	0.0%	2015
Ethiopia *	51.8%	57.2%	44.4%	12.8%	2017
Fiji *	99.1%	99.1%	99.1%	0.0%	2018
Finland *	100.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
France *	99.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Gabon *	84.7%	85.9%	83.4%	2.5%	2018
Gambia *	50.8%	61.8%	41.6%	20.2%	2015
Georgia *	99.6%	99.7%	99.5%	0.2%	2019
Germany *	99.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Ghana *	79.0%	83.5%	74.5%	9.0%	2018
Greece *	97.9%	98.5%	97.4%	1.1%	2018
Grenada *	98.6%	98.6%	98.6%	0.0%	2014
Guatemala *	80.8%	85.3%	76.7%	8.6%	2018
Guinea *	39.6%	54.4%	27.7%	26.7%	2018
Guinea-Bissau *	59.9%	71.8%	48.3%	23.5%	2015
Guyana *	88.5%	87.2%	89.8%	2.6%	2015
Haiti *	61.7%	65.3%	58.3%	7.0%	2016
Honduras *	88.5%	88.2%	88.7%	0.5%	2019
Hungary *	99.1%	99.1%	99.0%	0.1%	2015
Iceland *	99.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
India *	74.4%	82.4%	65.8%	16.6%	2018
Indonesia *	96.0%	97.4%	94.6%	2.8%	2020
Iran *	85.5%	90.4%	80.8%	9.6%	2016
Iraq *	85.6%	91.2%	79.9%	11.3%	2017
Ireland *	99.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Israel *	97.8%	98.7%	96.8%	1.9%	2011
Italy *	99.2%	99.4%	99.0%	0.4%	2018
Jamaica *	88.7%	84.0%	93.1%	9.1%	2015
Japan *	99.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Jordan *	98.2%	98.6%	97.8%	0.8%	2018
Kazakhstan *	99.8%	99.8%	99.7%	0.1%	2018
Kenya *	81.5%	85.0%	78.2%	6.8%	2018
Kiribati *	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
North Korea *	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	0.0%	2015
South Korea *	98.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Kuwait *	96.5%	97.1%	95.4%	1.7%	2020
Kyrgyzstan *	99.6%	99.7%	99.5%	0.2%	2018
Laos *	84.7%	90.0%	79.4%	10.6%	2015
Latvia *	99.9%	99.9%	99.9%	0.0%	2018
Lebanon *	95.1%	96.9%	93.3%	3.6%	2018
Lesotho *	79.4%	70.1%	88.3%	18.2%	2015
Liberia *	48.3%	62.7%	34.1%	28.6%	2017
Libya *	91.0%	96.7%	85.6%	11.1%	2015
Liechtenstein *	100.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Lithuania *	99.8%	99.8%	99.8%	0.0%	2015
Luxembourg *	100.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Madagascar *	76.7%	78.4%	75.1%	3.3%	2018
Malawi *	62.1%	69.8%	55.2%	14.6%	2015
Malaysia *	95.0%	96.2%	93.6%	2.6%	2019
Maldives *	97.7%	97.3%	98.1%	0.8%	2016
Mali *	35.5%	46.2%	25.7%	20.5%	2018
Malta *	94.5%	93.0%	96.0%	3.0%	2018
Marshall Islands *	98.3%	98.3%	98.2%	0.1%	2011
Mauritania *	53.5%	63.7%	43.4%	20.3%	2017
Mauritius *	91.3%	93.4%	89.4%	4.0%	2018
Mexico *	95.2%	96.1%	94.5%	1.6%	2020
Micronesia *	99.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Moldova *	99.4%	99.7%	99.1%	0.6%	2015
Monaco *	99.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Mongolia *	99.2%	99.1%	99.2%	0.1%	2020
Montenegro *	98.8%	99.5%	98.3%	1.2%	2018
Morocco *	73.8%	83.3%	64.6%	18.7%	2018
Mozambique *	60.7%	72.6%	50.3%	22.3%	2017
Myanmar *	89.1%	92.4%	86.3%	6.1%	2019
Namibia *	91.5%	91.6%	91.4%	0.2%	2018
Nauru *	95.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Nepal *	67.9%	78.6%	59.7%	18.9%	2018
Netherlands *	99.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
New Zealand *	99.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Nicaragua *	82.6%	82.4%	82.8%	0.4%	2015
Niger *	35.1%	43.6%	26.7%	16.9%	2018
Nigeria *	62.0%	71.3%	52.7%	18.6%	2018
North Macedonia *	98.4%	99.1%	97.6%	1.5%	2020
Norway *	100.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Oman *	95.7%	97.0%	92.7%	4.3%	2018
Pakistan *	58.0%	69.3%	46.5%	22.8%	2019
Palau *	96.6%	96.8%	96.3%	0.5%	2015
Panama *	95.7%	98.8%	95.4%	3.4%	2019
Papua New Guinea *	64.2%	65.6%	62.8%	2.8%	2015
Paraguay *	94.5%	94.9%	94.2%	0.7%	2020
Peru *	94.5%	97.0%	92.0%	5.0%	2020
Philippines *	96.3%	95.7%	96.9%	1.2%	2019
Poland *	99.8%	99.9%	99.7%	0.2%	2015
Portugal *	96.1%	97.4%	95.1%	2.3%	2018
Palestine	97%^[11]	99%	96%	3%	2019
Qatar *	93.5%	92.4%	94.7%	2.3%	2017
Romania *	98.8%	99.1%	98.6%	0.5%	2018
Russia *	99.7%	99.7%	99.7%	0.0%	2018
Rwanda *	73.2%	77.6%	69.4%	8.2%	2018
Saint Kitts and Nevis *	97.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Saint Lucia *	90.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines *	96.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Samoa *	99.1%	99.0%	99.2%	0.2%	2018
San Marino *	99.9%	99.9%	99.9%	0.0%	2018
São Tomé and Príncipe *	92.8%	96.2%	89.5%	6.7%	2018
Saudi Arabia *	97.6%	98.6%	96.0%	2.6%	2020
Senegal *	51.9%	64.8%	39.8%	25.0%	2017
Serbia *	99.5%	99.9%	99.1%	0.8%	2019
Seychelles	95.9%	95.4%	96.4%	1.0%	2018
Sierra Leone *	43.2%	51.6%	39.8%	11.8%	2018
Singapore *	97.5%	98.9%	96.1%	2.8%	2019
Slovakia *	100.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Slovenia *	99.7%	99.7%	99.7%	0.0%	2015
Solomon Islands *	77.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Somalia *	39.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
South Africa *	95.0%	95.5%	94.5%	1.0%	2019
South Sudan *	34.5%	40.3%	28.9%	11.4%	2018
Spain *	98.6%	99.0%	98.2%	0.8%	2020
Sri Lanka *	92.3%	93.0%	91.6%	1.4%	2019
Sudan *	60.7%	65.4%	56.1%	9.3%	2018
Suriname *	94.4%	96.1%	92.7%	3.4%	2018
Eswatini *	88.4%	88.3%	88.5%	0.2%	2018
Sweden *	99.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Switzerland *	99.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Syria *	86.4%	91.7%	81.0%	10.7%	2015
Taiwan *	98.70%	99.73%	97.69%	2.05%	2017
Tajikistan *	99.8%	99.8%	99.7%	0.1%	2015
Tanzania *	77.9%	83.2%	73.1%	10.1%	2015
Thailand *	93.8%	95.2%	92.4%	2.8%	2018
Timor-Leste *	68.1%	71.9%	64.2%	7.7%	2018
Togo *	66.5%	80.0%	55.1%	24.9%	2019
Tonga *	99.4%	99.4%	99.5%	0.1%	2018
Trinidad and Tobago *	99.0%	99.2%	98.7%	0.5%	2015
Tunisia *	81.8%	89.6%	74.2%	15.4%	2015
Turkey *	96.7%	99.1%	94.4%	4.7%	2019
Turkmenistan *	99.7%	99.8%	99.6%	0.2%	2015
Tuvalu *	99.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Uganda *	76.5%	82.7%	70.8%	11.9%	2018
Ukraine *	99.8%	99.8%	99.7%	0.1%	2015
United Arab Emirates *	97.6%	98.0%	96.9%	1.1%	2019
United Kingdom *	99.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
United States *	99.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	2025^[15]
Uruguay *	98.8%	98.5%	99.0%	0.5%	2019
Uzbekistan *	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	0.0%	2019
Vanuatu *	87.5%	88.3%	86.7%	1.6%	2018
Venezuela *	97.1%	97.0%	97.2%	0.2%	2016
Vietnam *	95.8%	97.0%	94.6%	2.4%	2019
Yemen *	70.1%	85.1%	55.0%	30.1%	2015
Zambia *	86.7%	90.6%	83.1%	7.5%	2018
Zimbabwe *	86.5%	88.5%	84.6%	3.9%	2015
World	86.7%	90.1%	83.3%	6.8%	2020

List of other states and territories

Territory	Literacy rate (all)	Male literacy	Female literacy	Gender difference^[a]	Year	Note
Aruba	97.5%	97.5%	97.5%	0.0%	2015^[1]	A constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Cayman Islands	98.9%	98.7%	99.0%	−0.3%	2007^[1]	An overseas territory of the United Kingdom.
Guadeloupe	96.5%	96.4%	96.6%	−0.2%	2015^[1]	Overseas region/department of France.
Guam	99.8%	99.8%	99.8%	0.0%	2015^[1]	An unincorporated and organized territory of the United States.
Kosovo	91.9%	96.6%	87.5%	9.1%	2003^[2]	Member of two UN specialized agencies (World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund). It is claimed by Serbia.
Macau	96.2%	98.0%	94.6%	3.4%	2015^[1]	A special administrative region of China.
Martinique	97.0%	97.6%	96.4%	1.2%	2015^[1]	Overseas region/department of France.
New Caledonia	96.9%	97.3%	96.5%	0.8%	2015^[1]	Overseas region/department of France.
Puerto Rico	93.3%	92.8%	93.8%	−1.0%	2015^[1]	Unincorporated territory of the United States.
Réunion	93.9%	93.2%	94.5%	−1.3%	2015^[1]	Overseas region/department of France.

Notes

↑ A positive value indicates that the male literacy rate is higher. A negative value indicates that the female literacy rate is higher.

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years (both sexes, female, male)". UIS Data Centre. UNESCO . Retrieved 20 November 2019.
1 2 "Country Comparison to the World of Literacy Rate". The World Factbook . Central Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on June 13, 2007. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
↑ "UIS Tellmaps". tellmaps.com. Retrieved 2018-11-02.
↑ "Interview: "Literacy rate in Afghanistan increased to 43 per cent" | UIL". 2021-12-05. Archived from the original on 2021-12-05. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
↑ "Literacy rate, youth total (% of people ages 15-24) - China | Data". data.worldbank.org. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
↑ "Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) - China". data.worldbank.org. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
↑ "Literacy rate, youth (ages 15-24), gender parity index (GPI) - China | Data". data.worldbank.org. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
↑ "People and Culture: Literacy". Greenland. World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on 13 May 2023.
1 2 3 "Morocco". uis.unesco.org. 2016-11-27. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
↑ "UIS Statistics". data.uis.unesco.org. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
1 2 3 4 "Literacy rate, youth total (% of people ages 15-24) - West Bank and Gaza Data". data.worldbank.org. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
↑ "List of Countries By Literacy Rate". WorldAtlas. 2020-08-12. Retrieved 2022-10-21.
↑ "Literacy - The World Factbook". www.cia.gov. Retrieved 2022-10-22.
↑ Report, Star Digital (2022-07-27). "Bangladesh's literacy rate now 74.66%". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2022-11-06.
↑ "Literacy Rate by Country 2025". World Population Review. Retrieved 2025-09-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

External links

World Bank – Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above), for historical use.

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[16] A positive value indicates that the male literacy rate is higher. A negative value indicates that the female literacy rate is higher.

[UNESCO-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years (both sexes, female, male)". UIS Data Centre. UNESCO . Retrieved 20 November 2019.

[CIA-2] 1 2 "Country Comparison to the World of Literacy Rate". The World Factbook . Central Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on June 13, 2007. Retrieved 1 November 2015.

[3] "UIS Tellmaps". tellmaps.com. Retrieved 2018-11-02.

[4] "Interview: "Literacy rate in Afghanistan increased to 43 per cent" | UIL". 2021-12-05. Archived from the original on 2021-12-05. Retrieved 2024-04-05.

[5] "Literacy rate, youth total (% of people ages 15-24) - China | Data". data.worldbank.org. Retrieved 2020-01-05.

[6] "Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) - China". data.worldbank.org. Retrieved 2020-01-05.

[7] "Literacy rate, youth (ages 15-24), gender parity index (GPI) - China | Data". data.worldbank.org. Retrieved 2020-01-05.

[8] "People and Culture: Literacy". Greenland. World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on 13 May 2023.

[:0-9] 1 2 3 "Morocco". uis.unesco.org. 2016-11-27. Retrieved 2021-01-19.

[10] "UIS Statistics". data.uis.unesco.org. Retrieved 2021-01-19.

[West_Bank_and_Gaza-11] 1 2 3 4 "Literacy rate, youth total (% of people ages 15-24) - West Bank and Gaza Data". data.worldbank.org. Retrieved 2024-03-16.

[12] "List of Countries By Literacy Rate". WorldAtlas. 2020-08-12. Retrieved 2022-10-21.

[13] "Literacy - The World Factbook". www.cia.gov. Retrieved 2022-10-22.

[14] Report, Star Digital (2022-07-27). "Bangladesh's literacy rate now 74.66%". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2022-11-06.

[15] "Literacy Rate by Country 2025". World Population Review. Retrieved 2025-09-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

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v t e Literacy
Learning	Adolescent literacy Emergent literacy Family literacy Functional illiteracy Phonics Post-literacy Whole language
Locations	List of countries by literacy rate Canada India Bihar New Zealand Tokelau Romania United States
Institutions	International Literacy Association International Literacy Day National Council of Teachers of English No Child Left Behind Act
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Related	Aliteracy Asemic writing Children's literature Composition studies Dick and Jane Dyslexia Literacy test Media consumption Orality Oral literature Post-literate society Reading Writing Writing system

v t e Lists of countries by population statistics
Global	Current population United Nations Demographics of the world
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Population density	Current density Past and future population density Person-to-arable land ratio
Growth indicators	Population growth rate Natural increase Net reproduction rate Number of births Number of deaths Birth rate Mortality rate Fertility rate Past fertility rate
Life expectancy	World Africa Asia Europe North America Oceania South America world regions past life expectancy
Other demographics	Age at childbearing Age at first marriage Age structure Dependency ratio Divorce rate Ethnic and cultural diversity level Ethnic composition Immigrant population Linguistic diversity Median age Net migration rate Number of households Religion / Irreligion Sex ratio Urban population Urbanization
Health	Antidepressant consumption Antiviral medications for pandemic influenza HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate Infant and under-five mortality rates Maternal mortality rate Obesity rate Percentage suffering from undernourishment Health expenditure by country by type of financing Suicide rate Total health expenditure per capita Health spending as % of GDP Body mass index (BMI)
Education and innovation	Bloomberg Innovation Index Education Index Global Innovation Index International Innovation Index Literacy rate Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) Tertiary education attainment World Intellectual Property Indicators
Economic	Access to financial services Development aid donors Official Development Assistance received Employment rate Irrigated land area Human Development Index by country inequality-adjusted planetary pressures–adjusted HDI Human Poverty Index Imports Exports Income inequality Labour force Share of income of top 1% Number of millionaires (US dollars) Number of billionaires (US dollars) Percentage living in poverty Public sector Unemployment rate Wealth inequality
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