Literacy rates among adults in Chile
Chile: Literacy rates among adults was 96.4% in 2017. ▲ Rising
Literacy rates among adults in Chile, 1982–2017
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for literacy rates among adults in Chile is 96.4%, measured in 2017.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.5% on the previous year and down 0.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rates among adults in Chile peaked at 96.9% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 91.1%, in 1982.
That places Chile 29th out of 89 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the middle of the range.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 91.1% | 91.1% | 91.1% | 1 |
| 1990s | 94.3% | 94.3% | 94.3% | 1 |
| 2000s | 95.7% | 95.7% | 95.7% | 1 |
| 2010s | 96.6% | 96.3% | 96.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Chile
More education data for Chile
- Duration of pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 68.9% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 16.5% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 99.5% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 94,708 (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 1.14 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 97.9% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rates among adults in Chile?
- Literacy rates among adults in Chile was 96.4% in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest literacy rates among adults recorded in Chile?
- The highest recorded value was 96.9% in 2015.
- What is the lowest literacy rates among adults recorded in Chile?
- The lowest recorded value was 91.1% in 1982.
- How does Chile rank for literacy rates among adults?
- Chile ranks 29th out of 89 countries with data for 2017.
- Is literacy rates among adults rising or falling in Chile?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Chile data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Literacy rates among adults. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the population aged 15 years and older who can read and write.