Literacy rate in Kuwait
Kuwait: Literacy rate was 96.5% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate in Kuwait, 1950–2020
Source: UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Kuwait recorded 96.5% for literacy rate in 2020. That is the highest value across all 16 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and up 2.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate in Kuwait peaked at 96.5% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 17.5%, in 1950.
Kuwait ranks 45th of 128 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.
Literacy rate in Kuwait, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 17.5% | — |
| 1975 | 59.6% | +240.3% |
| 1980 | 67.5% | +13.4% |
| 1985 | 74.5% | +10.3% |
| 1995 | 78.4% | +5.2% |
| 2005 | 93.3% | +19.0% |
| 2006 | 93.3% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 93.7% | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 93.9% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 94.5% | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 95.5% | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 95.6% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 95.7% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 96.0% | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 96.1% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 96.5% | +0.4% |
Kuwait compared with similar countries
- Kuwait's 96.5% is below the median for high income countries, which is 97.8%, 99% of the median. (33 countries reporting)
- Kuwait's 96.5% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 93.3%, 1.0× the median. (19 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Literacy rate in Kuwait changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | +240.3% | 17.5% | 59.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 17.5% | 17.5% | 17.5% | 1 |
| 1970s | 59.6% | 59.6% | 59.6% | 1 |
| 1980s | 71.0% | 67.5% | 74.5% | 2 |
| 1990s | 78.4% | 78.4% | 78.4% | 1 |
| 2000s | 93.5% | 93.3% | 93.9% | 4 |
| 2010s | 95.6% | 94.5% | 96.1% | 6 |
| 2020s | 96.5% | 96.5% | 96.5% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Kuwait
More education data for Kuwait
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 47,443 (2021)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 11 (2021)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 30,349 (2021)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 29,489 (2021)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 302,047 (2015)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 265,113 (2021)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -4.44 % change on previous year (2021)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2021)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0608 units per person (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate in Kuwait?
- Literacy rate in Kuwait was 96.5% in 2020, according to UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest literacy rate recorded in Kuwait?
- The highest recorded value was 96.5% in 2020.
- What is the lowest literacy rate recorded in Kuwait?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.5% in 1950.
- How does Kuwait rank for literacy rate?
- Kuwait ranks 45th out of 128 countries with data for 2020.
- Is literacy rate rising or falling in Kuwait?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kuwait 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.