Palestine vs World: Literacy rate, adult total

Palestine
97.9%
in 2024
World
87.7%
in 2024
Palestine rank
16th
World rank
18th

Literacy rate, adult total over time

  • Palestine
  • World
020406080100197519992024

How they compare

Palestine currently reports 97.9% against 87.7% in World, a difference of 10.2%.

That makes Palestine's figure about 1.1 times World's.

Across all 20 years both countries report, Palestine has been ahead every year.

Palestine ranks 16th and World ranks 18th of 89 countries.

Palestine has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Palestine World Difference Ahead
1990s 86.1% 79.3% 6.8% Palestine
2000s 93.6% 83.1% 10.5% Palestine
2010s 96.2% 85.7% 10.5% Palestine
2020s 97.7% 87.3% 10.4% Palestine

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher literacy rate, adult total, Palestine or World?
Palestine, at 97.9% against 87.7% in World as of 2024.
What is the difference in literacy rate, adult total between Palestine and World?
10.2%, with Palestine ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Palestine and World?
20 years are reported by both, from 1997 to 2024.
How do Palestine and World rank globally for literacy rate, adult total?
Palestine ranks 16th and World ranks 18th of 89 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Palestine vs World: Literacy rate, adult total. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 19 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/literacy-rate-adult-total-percent-of-people-ages-15-and-above/west-bank-and-gaza/world/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above)
Unit
% of people ages 15 and above
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
128 places, 2,592 data points, 1973–2024
Last refreshed

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.