Literacy rates vs average years of schooling in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Literacy rates vs average years of schooling was 98.5 in 1950. ◆ Volatile

Latest (1950)
98.5
World rank
18th
of 128 countries
All-time high
98.5
in 1950
All-time low
5
in 1475
Years of data
5
1475–1950

Literacy rates vs average years of schooling in United Kingdom, 1475–1950

0204060801001475171219501475: 51550: 161650: 531750: 541950: 98.5

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 1950, literacy rates vs average years of schooling in United Kingdom stood at 98.5. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.

Over the whole period, literacy rates vs average years of schooling in United Kingdom peaked at 98.5 in 1950 and was at its lowest, 5, in 1475.

That places United Kingdom 18th out of 128 countries with data for 1950, putting it in the top quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1470s 5 5 5 1
1550s 16 16 16 1
1650s 53 53 53 1
1750s 54 54 54 1
1950s 98.5 98.5 98.5 1

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 15 Poland 98.74 compare
  2. 16 Mongolia 98.64
  3. 17 Montenegro 98.53
  4. 18 Finland 98.5 compare
  5. 18 Germany 98.5 compare
  6. 18 Ireland 98.5 compare
  7. 18 Netherlands 98.5 compare
  8. 18 Sweden 98.5 compare

See the full ranking of 128 places →

More education data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rates vs average years of schooling in United Kingdom?
Literacy rates vs average years of schooling in United Kingdom was 98.5 in 1950, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest literacy rates vs average years of schooling recorded in United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 98.5 in 1950.
What is the lowest literacy rates vs average years of schooling recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 5 in 1475.
How does United Kingdom rank for literacy rates vs average years of schooling?
United Kingdom ranks 18th out of 128 countries with data for 1950.
Where does this United Kingdom 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.

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Literacy rates vs average years of schooling in United Kingdom. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rates-vs-average-years-of-schooling/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rates vs average years of schooling
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
128 places, 1,242 data points, 1475–2023
Last refreshed