Literacy rate, adult male in North America

North America: Literacy rate, adult male was 98.8% in 2022. ▬ Flat

Latest (2022)
98.8%
Change on year
unchanged
Rank
5th
of 39 groups
All-time high
98.8%
in 2021
All-time low
98.7%
in 2003
Years of data
12
2003–2022

Literacy rate, adult male in North America, 2003–2022

0204060801002003201220222003: 98.7 % of males ages 15 and above2004: 98.7 % of males ages 15 and above2005: 98.7 % of males ages 15 and above2006: 98.7 % of males ages 15 and above2007: 98.8 % of males ages 15 and above2008: 98.8 % of males ages 15 and above2017: 98.8 % of males ages 15 and above2018: 98.8 % of males ages 15 and above2019: 98.8 % of males ages 15 and above2020: 98.8 % of males ages 15 and above2021: 98.8 % of males ages 15 and above2022: 98.8 % of males ages 15 and above

Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of males ages 15 and above.

Analysis

In 2022, literacy rate, adult male in North America stood at 98.8%. That is the highest value across all 12 years on record.

That represents a change of up 0.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult male in North America peaked at 98.8% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 98.7%, in 2003.

That places North America 5th out of 39 groups with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.

Literacy rate, adult male in North America, year by year

Annual values for Literacy rate, adult male (% of males ages 15 and above) in North America, 2003 to 2022.
Year % of males ages 15 and above Change
2003 98.7%
2004 98.7% +0.0%
2005 98.7% +0.0%
2006 98.7% +0.0%
2007 98.8% +0.0%
2008 98.8% +0.0%
2017 98.8% +0.0%
2018 98.8% +0.0%
2019 98.8% +0.0%
2020 98.8% +0.0%
2021 98.8% +0.0%
2022 98.8% +0.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 98.7% 98.7% 98.8% 6
2010s 98.8% 98.8% 98.8% 3
2020s 98.8% 98.8% 98.8% 3

Countries ranked near North America

  1. 3 Azerbaijan 99.8% compare
  2. 4 Spain 99.8% compare
  3. 5 Armenia 99.8% compare
  4. 6 Georgia 99.8% compare
  5. 7 Serbia 99.6% compare
  6. 8 Palestine 99.4% compare

See the full ranking of 127 places →

More education data for North America

All data for North America →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate, adult male in North America?
Literacy rate, adult male in North America was 98.8% in 2022, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest literacy rate, adult male recorded in North America?
The highest recorded value was 98.8% in 2021.
What is the lowest literacy rate, adult male recorded in North America?
The lowest recorded value was 98.7% in 2003.
How does North America rank for literacy rate, adult male?
North America ranks 5th out of 39 groups with data for 2022.
Is literacy rate, adult male rising or falling in North America?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this North America data come from?
The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Literacy rate, adult male (% of males ages 15 and above). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Literacy rate, adult male in North America. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-adult-male-percent-of-males-ages-15-and-above/north-america/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, adult male (% of males ages 15 and above)
Unit
% of males ages 15 and above
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
127 places, 2,578 data points, 1974–2024
Last refreshed

Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.