Cross country literacy rates by country
Countries reporting
128
Highest
100
Uzbekistan
Lowest
30.63
Chad
Median
93.51
Years covered
550
1475–2024
Data points
1,272
What the numbers show
Cross country literacy rates is currently reported for 128 countries. The highest value is 100 in Uzbekistan; the lowest is 30.63 in Chad.
The median across all reporting countries is 93.51, and the mean is 84.81.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 3.
Over the past decade 88 countries rose and 21 fell. The largest increase was in Guinea (up 56.5%), and the largest decrease in Zambia (down 13.7%).
Cross country literacy rates: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uzbekistan | 100 | 2022 | up 0.0% | flat |
| 2 | Armenia | 99.84 | 2023 | up 0.1% | flat |
| 3 | Azerbaijan | 99.78 | 2023 | down 0.0% | flat |
| 4 | Tajikistan | 99.73 | 2009 | up 0.3% | flat |
| 5 | Spain | 99.7 | 2021 | up 2.0% | rising |
| 6 | Georgia | 99.68 | 2024 | up 0.1% | flat |
| 7 | Tonga | 99.48 | 2023 | up 0.1% | flat |
| 8 | Italy | 99.35 | 2019 | up 0.5% | volatile |
| 9 | Serbia | 99.34 | 2022 | up 1.4% | flat |
| 10 | Qatar | 99.32 | 2024 | up 1.6% | rising |
| 11 | Romania | 99.16 | 2021 | up 0.6% | rising |
| 12 | Argentina | 99.14 | 2020 | — | rising |
| 13 | Uruguay | 98.91 | 2024 | up 0.5% | rising |
| 14 | Hungary | 98.86 | 1980 | — | rising |
| 15 | United Arab Emirates | 98.81 | 2024 | up 1.1% | rising |
| 16 | Poland | 98.74 | 1978 | — | volatile |
| 17 | Mongolia | 98.64 | 2024 | up 0.4% | rising |
| 18 | Montenegro | 98.53 | 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 | Ireland | 98.5 | 1950 | — | volatile |
| 19 | Netherlands | 98.5 | 1950 | — | volatile |
| 19 | Sweden | 98.5 | 1950 | — | volatile |
| 25 | Philippines | 98.47 | 2020 | up 1.4% | rising |
| 26 | Bulgaria | 98.35 | 2011 | up 0.2% | rising |
| 27 | Maldives | 98.21 | 2019 | down 0.2% | rising |
| 28 | Samoa | 97.99 | 2019 | down 1.0% | rising |
| 29 | Palestine | 97.94 | 2024 | up 1.8% | rising |
| 30 | Saudi Arabia | 97.93 | 2024 | up 3.7% | rising |
| 31 | Bahrain | 97.82 | 2024 | — | rising |
| 32 | Albania | 97.68 | 2023 | up 0.4% | rising |
| 33 | Cuba | 97.65 | 2019 | down 2.0% | rising |
| 33 | Singapore | 97.65 | 2021 | up 1.5% | rising |
| 35 | Canada | 97.5 | 1950 | — | rising |
| 36 | Oman | 97.34 | 2022 | up 12.0% | rising |
| 37 | Turkey | 97.26 | 2021 | up 3.3% | rising |
| 38 | Venezuela | 97.18 | 2017 | up 2.1% | rising |
| 39 | China | 96.74 | 2020 | up 1.7% | rising |
| 40 | Bolivia | 96.73 | 2024 | up 4.6% | rising |
| 41 | Macao | 96.54 | 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 | 96.46 | 2020 | up 2.1% | rising |
| 46 | Chile | 96.4 | 2017 | down 0.3% | rising |
| 47 | Panama | 96.23 | 2024 | up 2.3% | rising |
| 48 | Vietnam | 96.13 | 2022 | up 2.8% | rising |
| 49 | Brunei | 96.09 | 2011 | up 3.7% | rising |
| 50 | Indonesia | 96 | 2020 | up 4.0% | rising |
| 51 | Malaysia | 95.77 | 2022 | up 2.8% | rising |
| 52 | Mexico | 95.55 | 2024 | up 1.0% | rising |
| 53 | Colombia | 95.34 | 2024 | up 1.2% | rising |
| 54 | Paraguay | 94.86 | 2024 | down 0.2% | rising |
| 55 | Brazil | 94.74 | 2024 | up 3.3% | rising |
| 56 | Portugal | 94.48 | 2011 | — | rising |
| 57 | Jordan | 94.44 | 2024 | down 3.5% | rising |
| 58 | Syria | 94.42 | 2021 | — | rising |
| 59 | Mauritius | 94.29 | 2023 | up 3.1% | rising |
| 60 | Dominican Republic | 94.03 | 2024 | up 2.5% | rising |
| 61 | Seychelles | 93.95 | 2010 | up 2.3% | rising |
| 62 | Greece | 93.91 | 2009 | down 2.2% | rising |
| 63 | Peru | 93.66 | 2024 | down 0.1% | rising |
| 64 | Myanmar | 93.53 | 2020 | up 3.5% | rising |
| 65 | Ecuador | 93.49 | 2024 | down 0.8% | rising |
| 66 | Malta | 93.31 | 2011 | up 1.0% | rising |
| 67 | Suriname | 92.87 | 2012 | up 3.6% | rising |
| 68 | Sri Lanka | 92.74 | 2024 | up 0.2% | rising |
| 69 | Puerto Rico | 92.39 | 2017 | up 0.5% | rising |
| 70 | Lebanon | 92.01 | 2019 | up 0.9% | rising |
| 71 | South Africa | 91.15 | 2024 | down 3.2% | rising |
| 72 | Thailand | 91.1 | 2022 | down 2.8% | rising |
| 73 | Eswatini | 90.75 | 2022 | — | rising |
| 74 | Lesotho | 90.45 | 2024 | down 7.0% | rising |
| 75 | El Salvador | 89.77 | 2024 | up 2.7% | rising |
| 76 | Iran | 88.92 | 2023 | up 5.1% | rising |
| 77 | Cape Verde | 88.47 | 2024 | up 1.9% | rising |
| 78 | Honduras | 88.25 | 2024 | up 1.2% | rising |
| 79 | Vanuatu | 87.96 | 2023 | — | rising |
| 80 | Belize | 87.88 | 2022 | down 3.3% | rising |
| 81 | Namibia | 87.64 | 2023 | down 0.7% | rising |
| 82 | Sao Tome and Principe | 87.44 | 2019 | down 3.0% | rising |
| 83 | Nicaragua | 87.33 | 2014 | up 12.0% | rising |
| 84 | Papua New Guinea | 87 | 2022 | up 26.2% | rising |
| 85 | Tunisia | 86.25 | 2023 | up 7.5% | rising |
| 86 | Iraq | 84.06 | 2021 | up 8.9% | rising |
| 87 | Guatemala | 82.11 | 2024 | up 1.0% | rising |
| 88 | Egypt | 79.45 | 2022 | up 7.6% | volatile |
| 89 | Bangladesh | 79 | 2022 | up 36.5% | rising |
| 90 | Rwanda | 78.76 | 2022 | up 15.3% | rising |
| 91 | Tanzania | 78.21 | 2022 | up 0.1% | rising |
| 92 | India | 78.16 | 2024 | up 11.9% | volatile |
| 93 | Uganda | 77.04 | 2024 | up 12.5% | rising |
| 94 | Ghana | 76.49 | 2021 | up 7.0% | rising |
| 95 | Laos | 75.64 | 2023 | down 10.7% | rising |
| 96 | Comoros | 75.62 | 2021 | up 2.7% | rising |
| 97 | Algeria | 75.14 | 2008 | up 7.5% | rising |
| 98 | Madagascar | 74.69 | 2021 | up 4.4% | rising |
| 99 | Togo | 72.6 | 2022 | up 20.2% | rising |
| 100 | Cameroon | 72.55 | 2018 | up 2.6% | rising |
| 101 | Cambodia | 71.93 | 2021 | down 5.5% | rising |
| 102 | Zambia | 71.77 | 2024 | down 13.7% | rising |
| 103 | Burundi | 71.34 | 2020 | up 48.4% | rising |
| 104 | Nigeria | 70.41 | 2024 | up 20.9% | rising |
| 105 | Malawi | 70.15 | 2020 | — | rising |
| 106 | East Timor | 69.4 | 2022 | up 19.0% | rising |
| 107 | Nepal | 68.71 | 2019 | up 23.7% | rising |
| 108 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 68.5 | 2023 | down 8.7% | rising |
| 109 | Angola | 68.18 | 2023 | up 3.3% | rising |
| 110 | Haiti | 68.01 | 2017 | up 15.8% | rising |
| 111 | Bhutan | 64.91 | 2022 | up 17.3% | rising |
| 112 | Morocco | 64.26 | 2014 | up 22.8% | rising |
| 113 | Guinea-Bissau | 63.93 | 2022 | — | volatile |
| 114 | Mozambique | 61.67 | 2022 | up 21.9% | rising |
| 115 | Ethiopia | 60.46 | 2022 | up 25.0% | rising |
| 116 | Pakistan | 58.86 | 2021 | up 7.5% | rising |
| 117 | Gambia | 51.64 | 2021 | up 1.7% | rising |
| 118 | Benin | 51.38 | 2022 | up 15.0% | rising |
| 119 | Senegal | 50.36 | 2023 | up 15.7% | rising |
| 120 | Cote d'Ivoire | 50 | 2021 | up 13.9% | rising |
| 121 | Sierra Leone | 43.58 | 2019 | up 25.1% | rising |
| 122 | Central African Republic | 42.44 | 2019 | — | volatile |
| 123 | Burkina Faso | 41.57 | 2023 | up 20.1% | rising |
| 124 | Guinea | 39.62 | 2018 | up 56.5% | rising |
| 125 | Afghanistan | 37.27 | 2021 | up 18.5% | rising |
| 126 | Mali | 35.63 | 2024 | up 7.7% | rising |
| 127 | Niger | 35.61 | 2022 | up 16.5% | rising |
| 128 | Chad | 30.63 | 2019 | up 7.9% | rising |