Literacy rate in Cuba
Cuba: Literacy rate was 97.7% in 2019. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate in Cuba, 1899–2019
Source: UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2019, literacy rate in Cuba stood at 97.7%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate in Cuba peaked at 99.8% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 43.1%, in 1899.
That places Cuba 33rd out of 128 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 10 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1890s | 43.1% | 43.1% | 43.1% | 1 |
| 1900s | 56.4% | 56.4% | 56.4% | 1 |
| 1910s | 61.3% | 61.3% | 61.3% | 1 |
| 1930s | 71.8% | 71.8% | 71.8% | 1 |
| 1940s | 76.4% | 76.4% | 76.4% | 1 |
| 1950s | 77.5% | 77.5% | 77.5% | 1 |
| 1980s | 97.8% | 97.8% | 97.8% | 1 |
| 2000s | 99.8% | 99.8% | 99.8% | 1 |
| 2010s | 98.7% | 97.7% | 99.7% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Cuba
More education data for Cuba
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Duration of pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 15.0% (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 67.9% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 98.1% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 82,575 (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 1.45 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 97.6% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate in Cuba?
- Literacy rate in Cuba was 97.7% in 2019, according to UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest literacy rate recorded in Cuba?
- The highest recorded value was 99.8% in 2002.
- What is the lowest literacy rate recorded in Cuba?
- The lowest recorded value was 43.1% in 1899.
- How does Cuba rank for literacy rate?
- Cuba ranks 33rd out of 128 countries with data for 2019.
- Is literacy rate rising or falling in Cuba?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Cuba 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 — 10 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.