Literacy rates among adults in Mexico
Mexico: Literacy rates among adults was 95.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rates among adults in Mexico, 1980–2024
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 Mexico is 95.5%, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 0.3% on the previous year and up 1.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rates among adults in Mexico peaked at 95.8% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 83.0%, in 1980.
Mexico ranks 34th of 89 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Literacy rates among adults in Mexico, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 83.0% | — |
| 1990 | 87.6% | +5.5% |
| 2000 | 90.5% | +3.4% |
| 2002 | 90.3% | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 91.0% | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 91.6% | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 91.7% | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 92.8% | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 92.9% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 93.4% | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 93.1% | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 93.5% | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 94.2% | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 94.0% | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 94.6% | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 94.5% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 94.9% | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 95.0% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 95.4% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 95.4% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 95.2% | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 95.7% | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 95.1% | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 95.8% | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 95.5% | -0.3% |
Mexico compared with similar countries
- Mexico's 95.5% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 95.5%, 1.0× the median. (33 countries reporting)
- Mexico's 95.5% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 94.9%, 1.0× the median. (15 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 83.0% | 83.0% | 83.0% | 1 |
| 1990s | 87.6% | 87.6% | 87.6% | 1 |
| 2000s | 91.8% | 90.3% | 93.4% | 8 |
| 2010s | 94.4% | 93.1% | 95.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 95.5% | 95.1% | 95.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Mexico
More education data for Mexico
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 868,550 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 96,349 (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.14 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 2.11 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 13.99 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 13.19 million (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rates among adults in Mexico?
- Literacy rates among adults in Mexico was 95.5% in 2024, 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 Mexico?
- The highest recorded value was 95.8% in 2023.
- What is the lowest literacy rates among adults recorded in Mexico?
- The lowest recorded value was 83.0% in 1980.
- How does Mexico rank for literacy rates among adults?
- Mexico ranks 34th out of 89 countries with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rates among adults rising or falling in Mexico?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Mexico 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.