Literacy rate in Poland
Poland: Literacy rate was 98.7% in 1978. ◆ Volatile
Latest (1978)
98.7%
World rank
16th
of 128 countries
All-time high
98.7%
in 1978
All-time low
0.0%
in 1475
Years of data
6
1475–1978
Literacy rate in Poland, 1475–1978
Source: UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Poland recorded 98.7% for literacy rate in 1978. That is the highest value across all 6 years on record.
Over the whole period, literacy rate in Poland peaked at 98.7% in 1978 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1475.
Poland ranks 16th of 128 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Literacy rate in Poland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1475 | 0.0% | — |
| 1550 | 0.0% | — |
| 1650 | 3.0% | — |
| 1750 | 5.0% | +66.7% |
| 1950 | 92.5% | +1750.0% |
| 1978 | 98.7% | +6.7% |
Poland compared with similar countries
- Poland's 98.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 97.8%, 1.0× the median. (33 countries reporting)
- Poland's 98.7% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 98.5%, 1.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1470s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1550s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1650s | 3.0% | 3.0% | 3.0% | 1 |
| 1750s | 5.0% | 5.0% | 5.0% | 1 |
| 1950s | 92.5% | 92.5% | 92.5% | 1 |
| 1970s | 98.7% | 98.7% | 98.7% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Poland
- 13 Uruguay 98.9% compare
- 14 Hungary 98.9% compare
- 15 United Arab Emirates 98.8%
- 17 Mongolia 98.6% compare
- 18 Montenegro 98.5%
- 19 Finland 98.5% compare
- 19 Germany 98.5% compare
- 19 Ireland 98.5% compare
- 19 Netherlands 98.5% compare
- 19 Sweden 98.5% compare
- 19 United Kingdom 98.5% compare
More education data for Poland
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 322,900 (2025)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 15,398 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 776,213 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 735,804 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.33 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.60 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.04 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0438 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate in Poland?
- Literacy rate in Poland was 98.7% in 1978, according to UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest literacy rate recorded in Poland?
- The highest recorded value was 98.7% in 1978.
- What is the lowest literacy rate recorded in Poland?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1475.
- How does Poland rank for literacy rate?
- Poland ranks 16th out of 128 countries with data for 1978.
- Where does this Poland 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 — 6 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.