Literacy rate, youth total in Colombia

Colombia: Literacy rate, youth total was 99.0% in 2024. ▬ Flat

Latest (2024)
99.0%
Change on year
down 0.0%
World rank
32nd
of 95 countries
All-time high
99.1%
in 2021
All-time low
95.5%
in 1993
Years of data
25
1993–2024

Literacy rate, youth total in Colombia, 1993–2024

0204060801001993200820241993: 95.5 % of people ages 15-241996: 97 % of people ages 15-242002: 97.4 % of people ages 15-242003: 97.5 % of people ages 15-242004: 98 % of people ages 15-242005: 98 % of people ages 15-242006: 97.9 % of people ages 15-242007: 98 % of people ages 15-242008: 98 % of people ages 15-242009: 97.9 % of people ages 15-242010: 98.1 % of people ages 15-242011: 98.2 % of people ages 15-242012: 98.2 % of people ages 15-242013: 98.3 % of people ages 15-242014: 98.5 % of people ages 15-242015: 98.5 % of people ages 15-242016: 98.7 % of people ages 15-242017: 98.6 % of people ages 15-242018: 98.8 % of people ages 15-242019: 98.8 % of people ages 15-242020: 99 % of people ages 15-242021: 99.1 % of people ages 15-242022: 98.9 % of people ages 15-242023: 99 % of people ages 15-242024: 99 % of people ages 15-24

Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of people ages 15-24.

Analysis

In 2024, literacy rate, youth total in Colombia stood at 99.0%.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, youth total in Colombia peaked at 99.1% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 95.5%, in 1993.

Colombia ranks 32nd of 95 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Literacy rate, youth total in Colombia, year by year

Annual values for Literacy rate, youth total (% of people ages 15-24) in Colombia, 1993 to 2024.
Year % of people ages 15-24 Change
1993 95.5%
1996 97.0% +1.6%
2002 97.4% +0.4%
2003 97.5% +0.1%
2004 98.0% +0.5%
2005 98.0% -0.0%
2006 97.9% -0.1%
2007 98.0% +0.1%
2008 98.0% +0.0%
2009 97.9% -0.1%
2010 98.1% +0.2%
2011 98.2% +0.1%
2012 98.2% -0.0%
2013 98.3% +0.1%
2014 98.5% +0.2%
2015 98.5% -0.0%
2016 98.7% +0.1%
2017 98.6% -0.1%
2018 98.8% +0.3%
2019 98.8% -0.0%
2020 99.0% +0.2%
2021 99.1% +0.1%
2022 98.9% -0.2%
2023 99.0% +0.1%
2024 99.0% -0.0%

Colombia compared with similar countries

  • Colombia's 99.0% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 98.9%, 1.0× the median. (36 countries reporting)
  • Colombia's 99.0% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 98.9%, 1.0× the median. (17 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 96.2% 95.5% 97.0% 2
2000s 97.8% 97.4% 98.0% 8
2010s 98.5% 98.1% 98.8% 10
2020s 99.0% 98.9% 99.1% 5

Countries ranked near Colombia

  1. 29 Samoa 99.0% compare
  2. 29 Uruguay 99.0% compare
  3. 31 Ecuador 99.0% compare
  4. 33 Mexico 98.9% compare
  5. 34 Sri Lanka 98.9% compare
  6. 35 Tajikistan 98.8% compare

See the full ranking of 135 places →

More education data for Colombia

All data for Colombia →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate, youth total in Colombia?
Literacy rate, youth total in Colombia was 99.0% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest literacy rate, youth total recorded in Colombia?
The highest recorded value was 99.1% in 2021.
What is the lowest literacy rate, youth total recorded in Colombia?
The lowest recorded value was 95.5% in 1993.
How does Colombia rank for literacy rate, youth total?
Colombia ranks 32nd out of 95 countries with data for 2024.
Is literacy rate, youth total rising or falling in Colombia?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Colombia data come from?
The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Literacy rate, youth total (% of people ages 15-24). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Literacy rate, youth total in Colombia. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-youth-total-percent-of-people-ages-15-24/colombia/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, youth total (% of people ages 15-24)
Unit
% of people ages 15-24
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
135 places, 2,762 data points, 1974–2024
Last refreshed

Youth literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15-24 who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.