Literacy rate in Germany
Germany: Literacy rate was 98.5% in 1950. ◆ Volatile
Latest (1950)
98.5%
World rank
19th
of 128 countries
All-time high
98.5%
in 1950
All-time low
9.0%
in 1475
Years of data
5
1475–1950
Literacy rate in Germany, 1475–1950
Source: UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for literacy rate in Germany is 98.5%, measured in 1950. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.
Over the whole period, literacy rate in Germany peaked at 98.5% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 9.0%, in 1475.
That places Germany 19th out of 128 countries with data for 1950, putting it in the top quarter.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1470s | 9.0% | 9.0% | 9.0% | 1 |
| 1550s | 16.0% | 16.0% | 16.0% | 1 |
| 1650s | 31.0% | 31.0% | 31.0% | 1 |
| 1750s | 38.0% | 38.0% | 38.0% | 1 |
| 1950s | 98.5% | 98.5% | 98.5% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Germany
More education data for Germany
- Duration of pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 62.4% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 13.9% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 10 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 102.6% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 283,851 (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 1.45 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 103.0% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate in Germany?
- Literacy rate in Germany was 98.5% 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 Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 98.5% in 1950.
- What is the lowest literacy rate recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.0% in 1475.
- How does Germany rank for literacy rate?
- Germany ranks 19th out of 128 countries with data for 1950.
- Where does this Germany 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.