Brazil vs Portugal: Literacy rate

Brazil
94.7%
in 2024
Portugal
94.5%
in 2011
Brazil rank
55th
Portugal rank
56th

Literacy rate over time

  • Brazil
  • Portugal
20406080100190019622024

How they compare

Brazil currently reports 94.7% against 94.5% in Portugal, a difference of 0.2%.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 5 shared years of data; in 1900 it was Brazil ahead.

Brazil ranks 55th and Portugal ranks 56th of 128 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, Brazil averaged higher in 2 and Portugal in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade Brazil Portugal Difference Ahead
1900s 34.7% 26.6% 8.1% Brazil
1920s 35.1% 34.8% 0.3% Brazil
1940s 43.9% 49.6% 5.7% Portugal
1950s 47.5% 57.5% 10.0% Portugal
2010s 91.4% 94.5% 3.1% Portugal

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher literacy rate, Brazil or Portugal?
Brazil, at 94.7% against 94.5% in Portugal as of 2024.
What is the difference in literacy rate between Brazil and Portugal?
0.2%, with Brazil ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Brazil and Portugal?
5 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2011.
How do Brazil and Portugal rank globally for literacy rate?
Brazil ranks 55th and Portugal ranks 56th of 128 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Literacy rate. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Brazil vs Portugal: Literacy rate. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/cross-country-literacy-rates/brazil/portugal/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
128 places, 1,272 data points, 1475–2024
Last refreshed

Share of adults who can read and write a simple statement about their everyday life.