Literacy rate vs. average years of schooling in Romania

Romania: Literacy rate vs. average years of schooling was 99.2% in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
99.2%
World rank
11th
of 128 countries
All-time high
99.2%
in 2021
All-time low
77.5%
in 1950
Years of data
5
1950–2021

Literacy rate vs. average years of schooling in Romania, 1950–2021

0204060801001950198520211950: 77.5 %1992: 96.7 %2002: 97.3 %2011: 98.6 %2021: 99.2 %

Source: UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2021, literacy rate vs. average years of schooling in Romania stood at 99.2%. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate vs. average years of schooling in Romania peaked at 99.2% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 77.5%, in 1950.

That places Romania 11th out of 128 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.

Literacy rate vs. average years of schooling in Romania, year by year

Annual values for Literacy rate vs. average years of schooling in Romania, 1950 to 2021.
Year % Change
1950 77.5% —
1992 96.7% +24.8%
2002 97.3% +0.6%
2011 98.6% +1.3%
2021 99.2% +0.6%

Romania compared with similar countries

  • Romania's 99.2% is above the median for high income countries, which is 97.7%, 1.0× the median. (33 countries reporting)
  • Romania's 99.2% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 98.5%, 1.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 77.5% 77.5% 77.5% 1
1990s 96.7% 96.7% 96.7% 1
2000s 97.3% 97.3% 97.3% 1
2010s 98.6% 98.6% 98.6% 1
2020s 99.2% 99.2% 99.2% 1

Countries ranked near Romania

  1. 8 Italy 99.3% compare
  2. 9 Serbia 99.3% compare
  3. 10 Qatar 99.3% compare
  4. 12 Argentina 99.1% compare
  5. 13 Hungary 98.9% compare
  6. 14 Uruguay 98.8% compare

See the full ranking of 128 places →

More education data for Romania

All data for Romania →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate vs. average years of schooling in Romania?
Literacy rate vs. average years of schooling in Romania was 99.2% in 2021, 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 Romania?
The highest recorded value was 99.2% in 2021.
What is the lowest literacy rate vs. average years of schooling recorded in Romania?
The lowest recorded value was 77.5% in 1950.
How does Romania rank for literacy rate vs. average years of schooling?
Romania ranks 11th out of 128 countries with data for 2021.
Is literacy rate vs. average years of schooling rising or falling in Romania?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Romania 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.

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Literacy rate vs. average years of schooling in Romania. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 27 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rates-vs-average-years-of-schooling/romania/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate vs. average years of schooling
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
128 places, 1,242 data points, 1475–2023
Last refreshed

Share of adults who can read and write a simple statement about their everyday life.