Literacy rate vs. average years of schooling in Qatar
Qatar: Literacy rate vs. average years of schooling was 99.3% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate vs. average years of schooling in Qatar, 1950–2023
Source: UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for literacy rate vs. average years of schooling in Qatar is 99.3%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 16 years on record.
The figure is up 1.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate vs. average years of schooling in Qatar peaked at 99.3% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 7.5%, in 1950.
Qatar ranks 10th of 128 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.
Literacy rate vs. average years of schooling in Qatar, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 7.5% | — |
| 1986 | 75.6% | +908.5% |
| 1997 | 83.3% | +10.1% |
| 2004 | 89.0% | +6.8% |
| 2007 | 93.1% | +4.6% |
| 2008 | 94.0% | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 94.7% | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 96.3% | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 96.4% | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 96.7% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 97.5% | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 97.8% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 98.5% | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 98.8% | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 99.3% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 99.3% | +0.0% |
Qatar compared with similar countries
- Qatar's 99.3% is above the median for high income countries, which is 97.7%, 1.0× the median. (33 countries reporting)
- Qatar's 99.3% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 93.3%, 1.1× the median. (19 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Literacy rate vs. average years of schooling in Qatar 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | +908.5% | 7.5% | 75.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 7.5% | 7.5% | 7.5% | 1 |
| 1980s | 75.6% | 75.6% | 75.6% | 1 |
| 1990s | 83.3% | 83.3% | 83.3% | 1 |
| 2000s | 92.7% | 89.0% | 94.7% | 4 |
| 2010s | 97.4% | 96.3% | 98.8% | 7 |
| 2020s | 99.3% | 99.3% | 99.3% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Qatar
More education data for Qatar
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 12,368 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 1,379 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 25,980 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 24,823 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 151,038 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 180,287 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 5.09 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0631 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate vs. average years of schooling in Qatar?
- Literacy rate vs. average years of schooling in Qatar was 99.3% in 2023, according to UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest literacy rate vs. average years of schooling recorded in Qatar?
- The highest recorded value was 99.3% in 2023.
- What is the lowest literacy rate vs. average years of schooling recorded in Qatar?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.5% in 1950.
- How does Qatar rank for literacy rate vs. average years of schooling?
- Qatar ranks 10th out of 128 countries with data for 2023.
- Is literacy rate vs. average years of schooling rising or falling in Qatar?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Qatar 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 vs. average years of schooling. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 16 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.