Literacy rate in Greece
Greece: Literacy rate was 93.9% in 2009. ▲ Rising
Latest (2009)
93.9%
World rank
62nd
of 128 countries
All-time high
96.0%
in 2001
All-time low
39.5%
in 1907
Years of data
8
1907–2009
Literacy rate in Greece, 1907–2009
Source: UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Greece recorded 93.9% for literacy rate in 2009.
The figure is down 2.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate in Greece peaked at 96.0% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 39.5%, in 1907.
That places Greece 62nd out of 128 countries with data for 2009, putting it in the middle of the range.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 39.5% | 39.5% | 39.5% | 1 |
| 1920s | 53.0% | 48.0% | 58.1% | 2 |
| 1950s | 72.5% | 72.5% | 72.5% | 1 |
| 1980s | 90.5% | 90.5% | 90.5% | 1 |
| 1990s | 92.6% | 92.6% | 92.6% | 1 |
| 2000s | 94.9% | 93.9% | 96.0% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Greece
More education data for Greece
- Duration of pre-primary education 2 years (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 4 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 62.7% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 12.9% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 102.0% (2023)
- Primary education, teachers 70,680 (2023)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 1.34 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 101.8% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate in Greece?
- Literacy rate in Greece was 93.9% in 2009, according to UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest literacy rate recorded in Greece?
- The highest recorded value was 96.0% in 2001.
- What is the lowest literacy rate recorded in Greece?
- The lowest recorded value was 39.5% in 1907.
- How does Greece rank for literacy rate?
- Greece ranks 62nd out of 128 countries with data for 2009.
- Is literacy rate rising or falling in Greece?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Greece 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.
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About this data
Share of adults who can read and write a simple statement about their everyday life.