Literacy rate in Mexico
Mexico: Literacy rate was 95.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate in Mexico, 1900–2024
Source: UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Mexico recorded 95.5% for literacy rate in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and up 1.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate in Mexico peaked at 95.8% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 22.3%, in 1900.
Mexico ranks 52nd of 128 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 31 years of available data.
Literacy rate in Mexico, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 22.3% | — |
| 1910 | 27.7% | +24.2% |
| 1921 | 33.8% | +22.0% |
| 1930 | 38.5% | +13.9% |
| 1940 | 46.0% | +19.5% |
| 1950 | 62.5% | +35.9% |
| 1980 | 83.0% | +32.8% |
| 1990 | 87.6% | +5.5% |
| 2000 | 90.5% | +3.4% |
| 2002 | 90.3% | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 91.0% | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 91.6% | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 91.7% | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 92.8% | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 92.9% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 93.4% | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 93.1% | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 93.5% | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 94.2% | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 94.0% | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 94.6% | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 94.5% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 94.9% | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 95.0% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 95.4% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 95.4% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 95.2% | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 95.7% | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 95.1% | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 95.8% | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 95.5% | -0.3% |
Mexico compared with similar countries
- Mexico's 95.5% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 95.4%, 1.0× the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Mexico's 95.5% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 94.4%, 1.0× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Literacy rate in Mexico 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | +35.9% | 46.0% | 62.5% |
| 1980 | +32.8% | 62.5% | 83.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 22.3% | 22.3% | 22.3% | 1 |
| 1910s | 27.7% | 27.7% | 27.7% | 1 |
| 1920s | 33.8% | 33.8% | 33.8% | 1 |
| 1930s | 38.5% | 38.5% | 38.5% | 1 |
| 1940s | 46.0% | 46.0% | 46.0% | 1 |
| 1950s | 62.5% | 62.5% | 62.5% | 1 |
| 1980s | 83.0% | 83.0% | 83.0% | 1 |
| 1990s | 87.6% | 87.6% | 87.6% | 1 |
| 2000s | 91.8% | 90.3% | 93.4% | 8 |
| 2010s | 94.4% | 93.1% | 95.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 95.5% | 95.1% | 95.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Mexico
More education data for Mexico
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 868,550 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 96,349 (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.14 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 2.11 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 13.99 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 13.19 million (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate in Mexico?
- Literacy rate in Mexico was 95.5% in 2024, according to UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest literacy rate recorded in Mexico?
- The highest recorded value was 95.8% in 2023.
- What is the lowest literacy rate recorded in Mexico?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.3% in 1900.
- How does Mexico rank for literacy rate?
- Mexico ranks 52nd out of 128 countries with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate rising or falling in Mexico?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Mexico 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.