Literacy rate by country
Share of adults who can read and write a simple statement about their everyday life.
Countries reporting
126
Highest
100.0%
Uzbekistan
Lowest
30.6%
Chad
Median
93.5%
Years covered
550
1475–2024
Data points
1,272
What the numbers show
Literacy rate is currently reported for 126 countries. The highest value is 100.0% in Uzbekistan; the lowest is 30.6% in Chad.
The median across all reporting countries is 93.5%, and the mean is 84.6%.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 3.
Over the past decade 87 countries rose and 21 fell. The largest increase was in Guinea (up 56.5%), and the largest decrease in Zambia (down 13.7%).
Literacy rate: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uzbekistan | 100.0% | 2022 | up 0.0% | flat |
| 2 | Armenia | 99.8% | 2023 | up 0.1% | flat |
| 3 | Azerbaijan | 99.8% | 2023 | down 0.0% | flat |
| 4 | Tajikistan | 99.7% | 2009 | up 0.3% | flat |
| 5 | Spain | 99.7% | 2021 | up 2.0% | rising |
| 6 | Georgia | 99.7% | 2024 | up 0.1% | flat |
| 7 | Tonga | 99.5% | 2023 | up 0.1% | flat |
| 8 | Italy | 99.3% | 2019 | up 0.5% | volatile |
| 9 | Serbia | 99.3% | 2022 | up 1.4% | flat |
| 10 | Qatar | 99.3% | 2024 | up 1.6% | rising |
| 11 | Romania | 99.2% | 2021 | up 0.6% | rising |
| 12 | Argentina | 99.1% | 2020 | — | rising |
| 13 | Uruguay | 98.9% | 2024 | up 0.5% | rising |
| 14 | Hungary | 98.9% | 1980 | — | rising |
| 15 | United Arab Emirates | 98.8% | 2024 | up 1.1% | rising |
| 16 | Poland | 98.7% | 1978 | — | volatile |
| 17 | Mongolia | 98.6% | 2024 | up 0.4% | rising |
| 18 | Montenegro | 98.5% | 2018 | up 0.1% | rising |
| 19 | Germany | 98.5% | 1950 | — | volatile |
| 19 | Finland | 98.5% | 1950 | — | rising |
| 19 | United Kingdom | 98.5% | 1950 | — | volatile |
| 19 | Netherlands | 98.5% | 1950 | — | volatile |
| 19 | Sweden | 98.5% | 1950 | — | volatile |
| 25 | Philippines | 98.5% | 2020 | up 1.4% | rising |
| 26 | Bulgaria | 98.3% | 2011 | up 0.2% | rising |
| 27 | Maldives | 98.2% | 2019 | down 0.2% | rising |
| 28 | Samoa | 98.0% | 2019 | down 1.0% | rising |
| 29 | Palestine | 97.9% | 2024 | up 1.8% | rising |
| 30 | Saudi Arabia | 97.9% | 2024 | up 3.7% | rising |
| 31 | Bahrain | 97.8% | 2024 | — | rising |
| 32 | Albania | 97.7% | 2023 | up 0.4% | rising |
| 33 | Cuba | 97.7% | 2019 | down 2.0% | rising |
| 33 | Singapore | 97.7% | 2021 | up 1.5% | rising |
| 35 | Canada | 97.5% | 1950 | — | rising |
| 36 | Oman | 97.3% | 2022 | up 12.0% | rising |
| 37 | Turkey | 97.3% | 2021 | up 3.3% | rising |
| 38 | Venezuela | 97.2% | 2017 | up 2.1% | rising |
| 39 | China | 96.7% | 2020 | up 1.7% | rising |
| 40 | Bolivia | 96.7% | 2024 | up 4.6% | rising |
| 41 | Macao | 96.5% | 2016 | up 3.3% | rising |
| 42 | Belgium | 96.5% | 1950 | — | volatile |
| 42 | France | 96.5% | 1950 | up 0.5% | rising |
| 42 | United States | 96.5% | 1950 | down 0.6% | rising |
| 45 | Kuwait | 96.5% | 2020 | up 2.1% | rising |
| 46 | Chile | 96.4% | 2017 | down 0.3% | rising |
| 47 | Panama | 96.2% | 2024 | up 2.3% | rising |
| 48 | Vietnam | 96.1% | 2022 | up 2.8% | rising |
| 49 | Brunei | 96.1% | 2011 | up 3.7% | rising |
| 50 | Indonesia | 96.0% | 2020 | up 4.0% | rising |
| 51 | Malaysia | 95.8% | 2022 | up 2.8% | rising |
| 52 | Mexico | 95.5% | 2024 | up 1.0% | rising |
| 53 | Colombia | 95.3% | 2024 | up 1.2% | rising |
| 54 | Paraguay | 94.9% | 2024 | down 0.2% | rising |
| 55 | Brazil | 94.7% | 2024 | up 3.3% | rising |
| 56 | Portugal | 94.5% | 2011 | — | rising |
| 57 | Jordan | 94.4% | 2024 | down 3.5% | rising |
| 58 | Syria | 94.4% | 2021 | — | rising |
| 59 | Mauritius | 94.3% | 2023 | up 3.1% | rising |
| 60 | Dominican Republic | 94.0% | 2024 | up 2.5% | rising |
| 61 | Seychelles | 94.0% | 2010 | up 2.3% | rising |
| 62 | Greece | 93.9% | 2009 | down 2.2% | rising |
| 63 | Peru | 93.7% | 2024 | down 0.1% | rising |
| 64 | Myanmar | 93.5% | 2020 | up 3.5% | rising |
| 65 | Ecuador | 93.5% | 2024 | down 0.8% | rising |
| 67 | Suriname | 92.9% | 2012 | up 3.6% | rising |
| 68 | Sri Lanka | 92.7% | 2024 | up 0.2% | rising |
| 69 | Puerto Rico | 92.4% | 2017 | up 0.5% | rising |
| 70 | Lebanon | 92.0% | 2019 | up 0.9% | rising |
| 71 | South Africa | 91.2% | 2024 | down 3.2% | rising |
| 72 | Thailand | 91.1% | 2022 | down 2.8% | rising |
| 73 | Eswatini | 90.8% | 2022 | — | rising |
| 74 | Lesotho | 90.5% | 2024 | down 7.0% | rising |
| 75 | El Salvador | 89.8% | 2024 | up 2.7% | rising |
| 76 | Iran | 88.9% | 2023 | up 5.1% | rising |
| 77 | Cape Verde | 88.5% | 2024 | up 1.9% | rising |
| 78 | Honduras | 88.2% | 2024 | up 1.2% | rising |
| 79 | Vanuatu | 88.0% | 2023 | — | rising |
| 80 | Belize | 87.9% | 2022 | down 3.3% | rising |
| 81 | Namibia | 87.6% | 2023 | down 0.7% | rising |
| 82 | Sao Tome and Principe | 87.4% | 2019 | down 3.0% | rising |
| 83 | Nicaragua | 87.3% | 2014 | up 12.0% | rising |
| 84 | Papua New Guinea | 87.0% | 2022 | up 26.2% | rising |
| 85 | Tunisia | 86.2% | 2023 | up 7.5% | rising |
| 86 | Iraq | 84.1% | 2021 | up 8.9% | rising |
| 87 | Guatemala | 82.1% | 2024 | up 1.0% | rising |
| 88 | Egypt | 79.5% | 2022 | up 7.6% | volatile |
| 89 | Bangladesh | 79.0% | 2022 | up 36.5% | rising |
| 90 | Rwanda | 78.8% | 2022 | up 15.3% | rising |
| 91 | Tanzania | 78.2% | 2022 | up 0.1% | rising |
| 92 | India | 78.2% | 2024 | up 11.9% | volatile |
| 93 | Uganda | 77.0% | 2024 | up 12.5% | rising |
| 94 | Ghana | 76.5% | 2021 | up 7.0% | rising |
| 95 | Laos | 75.6% | 2023 | down 10.7% | rising |
| 96 | Comoros | 75.6% | 2021 | up 2.7% | rising |
| 97 | Algeria | 75.1% | 2008 | up 7.5% | rising |
| 98 | Madagascar | 74.7% | 2021 | up 4.4% | rising |
| 99 | Togo | 72.6% | 2022 | up 20.2% | rising |
| 100 | Cameroon | 72.5% | 2018 | up 2.6% | rising |
| 101 | Cambodia | 71.9% | 2021 | down 5.5% | rising |
| 102 | Zambia | 71.8% | 2024 | down 13.7% | rising |
| 103 | Burundi | 71.3% | 2020 | up 48.4% | rising |
| 104 | Nigeria | 70.4% | 2024 | up 20.9% | rising |
| 105 | Malawi | 70.2% | 2020 | — | rising |
| 106 | East Timor | 69.4% | 2022 | up 19.0% | rising |
| 107 | Nepal | 68.7% | 2019 | up 23.7% | rising |
| 108 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 68.5% | 2023 | down 8.7% | rising |
| 109 | Angola | 68.2% | 2023 | up 3.3% | rising |
| 110 | Haiti | 68.0% | 2017 | up 15.8% | rising |
| 111 | Bhutan | 64.9% | 2022 | up 17.3% | rising |
| 112 | Morocco | 64.3% | 2014 | up 22.8% | rising |
| 113 | Guinea-Bissau | 63.9% | 2022 | — | volatile |
| 114 | Mozambique | 61.7% | 2022 | up 21.9% | rising |
| 115 | Ethiopia | 60.5% | 2022 | up 25.0% | rising |
| 116 | Pakistan | 58.9% | 2021 | up 7.5% | rising |
| 117 | Gambia | 51.6% | 2021 | up 1.7% | rising |
| 118 | Benin | 51.4% | 2022 | up 15.0% | rising |
| 119 | Senegal | 50.4% | 2023 | up 15.7% | rising |
| 120 | Cote d'Ivoire | 50.0% | 2021 | up 13.9% | rising |
| 121 | Sierra Leone | 43.6% | 2019 | up 25.1% | rising |
| 122 | Central African Republic | 42.4% | 2019 | — | volatile |
| 123 | Burkina Faso | 41.6% | 2023 | up 20.1% | rising |
| 124 | Guinea | 39.6% | 2018 | up 56.5% | rising |
| 125 | Afghanistan | 37.3% | 2021 | up 18.5% | rising |
| 126 | Mali | 35.6% | 2024 | up 7.7% | rising |
| 127 | Niger | 35.6% | 2022 | up 16.5% | rising |
| 128 | Chad | 30.6% | 2019 | up 7.9% | rising |
About this data
Share of adults who can read and write a simple statement about their everyday life.