Literacy rates vs average years of schooling in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Literacy rates vs average years of schooling was 97.59 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Latest (2020)
97.59
Change on year
up 2.4%
World rank
34th
of 128 countries
All-time high
97.59
in 2020
All-time low
3
in 1950
Years of data
7
1950–2020
Literacy rates vs average years of schooling in Saudi Arabia, 1950–2020
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2020, literacy rates vs average years of schooling in Saudi Arabia stood at 97.59. That is the highest value across all 7 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.4% on the previous year and up 3.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rates vs average years of schooling in Saudi Arabia peaked at 97.59 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 3, in 1950.
That places Saudi Arabia 34th out of 128 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
Literacy rates vs average years of schooling in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 3 | — |
| 1992 | 70.82 | +2260.7% |
| 2000 | 79.35 | +12.0% |
| 2004 | 82.86 | +4.4% |
| 2013 | 94.43 | +14.0% |
| 2017 | 95.33 | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 97.59 | +2.4% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 97.59 is below the median for high income countries, which is 97.65, 100% of the median. (33 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 97.59 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 93.31, 1.0× the median. (19 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 1990s | 70.82 | 70.82 | 70.82 | 1 |
| 2000s | 81.1 | 79.35 | 82.86 | 2 |
| 2010s | 94.88 | 94.43 | 95.33 | 2 |
| 2020s | 97.59 | 97.59 | 97.59 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More education data for Saudi Arabia
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 99.72 (2024)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 99.47 (2024)
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 242,375 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 26,900 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 215,559 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 214,840 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.36 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.45 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.53 % change on previous year (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rates vs average years of schooling in Saudi Arabia?
- Literacy rates vs average years of schooling in Saudi Arabia was 97.59 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest literacy rates vs average years of schooling recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 97.59 in 2020.
- What is the lowest literacy rates vs average years of schooling recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 3 in 1950.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for literacy rates vs average years of schooling?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 34th out of 128 countries with data for 2020.
- Is literacy rates vs average years of schooling rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Literacy rates vs average years of schooling. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 7 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).