Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes in Guatemala
Guatemala: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes was 87.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
87.2%
Change on year
down 3.7%
World rank
43rd
of 57 countries
All-time high
90.5%
in 2022
All-time low
81.5%
in 1994
Years of data
9
1994–2024
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes in Guatemala, 1994–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Guatemala recorded 87.2% for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes in 2024.
The figure is down 3.7% on the previous year and down 2.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes in Guatemala peaked at 90.5% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 81.5%, in 1994.
That places Guatemala 43rd out of 57 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes in Guatemala, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 81.5% | — |
| 2002 | 82.0% | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 85.5% | +4.3% |
| 2013 | 84.7% | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 89.4% | +5.6% |
| 2015 | 88.5% | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 87.5% | -1.1% |
| 2022 | 90.5% | +3.4% |
| 2024 | 87.2% | -3.7% |
Guatemala compared with similar countries
- Guatemala's 87.2% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 96.5%, 90% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Guatemala's 87.2% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 96.5%, 90% of the median. (15 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 81.5% | 81.5% | 81.5% | 1 |
| 2000s | 82.0% | 82.0% | 82.0% | 1 |
| 2010s | 87.1% | 84.7% | 89.4% | 5 |
| 2020s | 88.8% | 87.2% | 90.5% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Guatemala
More education data for Guatemala
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 122,548 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 247,917 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 335,306 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 328,468 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.13 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.42 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.3948 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1317 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes in Guatemala?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes in Guatemala was 87.2% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes recorded in Guatemala?
- The highest recorded value was 90.5% in 2022.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes recorded in Guatemala?
- The lowest recorded value was 81.5% in 1994.
- How does Guatemala rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes?
- Guatemala ranks 43rd out of 57 countries with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes rising or falling in Guatemala?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Guatemala data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release