Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Panama

Panama: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes was 89.3% in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
89.3%
Change on year
up 1.4%
World rank
22nd
of 53 countries
All-time high
89.3%
in 2019
All-time low
78.4%
in 1980
Years of data
5
1980–2019

Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Panama, 1980–2019

0204060801980199920191980: 78.4 %2000: 81.8 %2010: 86.1 %2018: 88 %2019: 89.3 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2019, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Panama stood at 89.3%. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.

The figure is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 3.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Panama peaked at 89.3% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 78.4%, in 1980.

Panama ranks 22nd of 53 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Panama, year by year

Annual values for Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes (%) in Panama, 1980 to 2019.
Year % Change
1980 78.4%
2000 81.8% +4.4%
2010 86.1% +5.2%
2018 88.0% +2.2%
2019 89.3% +1.4%

Panama compared with similar countries

  • Panama's 89.3% is below the median for high income countries, which is 95.3%, 94% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
  • Panama's 89.3% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 87.9%, 1.0× the median. (14 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 78.4% 78.4% 78.4% 1
2000s 81.8% 81.8% 81.8% 1
2010s 87.8% 86.1% 89.3% 3

Countries ranked near Panama

  1. 19 Türkiye 91.8% compare
  2. 20 Chile 91.7% compare
  3. 21 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 91.4% compare
  4. 23 Colombia 88.9% compare
  5. 24 Mexico 88.4% compare
  6. 25 Thailand 87.7% compare

See the full ranking of 53 places →

More education data for Panama

All data for Panama →

Frequently asked questions

What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Panama?
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Panama was 89.3% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes recorded in Panama?
The highest recorded value was 89.3% in 2019.
What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes recorded in Panama?
The lowest recorded value was 78.4% in 1980.
How does Panama rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes?
Panama ranks 22nd out of 53 countries with data for 2019.
Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes rising or falling in Panama?
Over the last ten years it is up 3.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Panama data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Panama. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/adult-literacy-rate-population-15-years-rural-both-sexes-percent-2/panama/

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About this data

Indicator
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
53 places, 511 data points, 1976–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release