Literacy rate in Canada
Canada: Literacy rate was 97.5% in 1950. ▲ Rising
Latest (1950)
97.5%
World rank
35th
of 128 countries
All-time high
97.5%
in 1950
All-time low
82.9%
in 1901
Years of data
5
1901–1950
Literacy rate in Canada, 1901–1950
Source: UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 1950, literacy rate in Canada stood at 97.5%. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.
Over the whole period, literacy rate in Canada peaked at 97.5% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 82.9%, in 1901.
That places Canada 35th out of 128 countries with data for 1950, putting it in the middle of the range.
Literacy rate in Canada, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 82.9% | — |
| 1911 | 89.0% | +7.4% |
| 1921 | 94.3% | +6.0% |
| 1931 | 95.7% | +1.5% |
| 1950 | 97.5% | +1.9% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 97.5% is below the median for high income countries, which is 97.8%, 100% of the median. (33 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 82.9% | 82.9% | 82.9% | 1 |
| 1910s | 89.0% | 89.0% | 89.0% | 1 |
| 1920s | 94.3% | 94.3% | 94.3% | 1 |
| 1930s | 95.7% | 95.7% | 95.7% | 1 |
| 1950s | 97.5% | 97.5% | 97.5% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More education data for Canada
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 133,275 (1996)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2011)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 291,075 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 273,465 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.70 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.43 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.83 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0607 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate in Canada?
- Literacy rate in Canada was 97.5% in 1950, according to UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest literacy rate recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 97.5% in 1950.
- What is the lowest literacy rate recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 82.9% in 1901.
- How does Canada rank for literacy rate?
- Canada ranks 35th out of 128 countries with data for 1950.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Literacy rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of adults who can read and write a simple statement about their everyday life.