Literacy rates among adults in Samoa
Samoa: Literacy rates among adults was 98.0% in 2019. ▬ Flat
Latest (2019)
98.0%
Change on year
down 1.7%
World rank
16th
of 89 countries
All-time high
99.7%
in 2017
All-time low
97.9%
in 1991
Years of data
5
1991–2019
Literacy rates among adults in Samoa, 1991–2019
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 Samoa is 98.0%, measured in 2019.
That represents a change of down 1.7% on the previous year and down 1.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rates among adults in Samoa peaked at 99.7% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 97.9%, in 1991.
Samoa ranks 16th of 89 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 97.9% | 97.9% | 97.9% | 1 |
| 2010s | 99.0% | 98.0% | 99.7% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Samoa
- 13 Montenegro 98.5% compare
- 14 Philippines 98.5% compare
- 15 Maldives 98.2% compare
- 17 Palestine 97.9% compare
- 18 Saudi Arabia 97.9% compare
- 19 Bahrain 97.8% compare
More education data for Samoa
- Duration of pre-primary education 2 years (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 55.9% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 38.1% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 11 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 5 years (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 101.0% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 1,558 (2023)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 3.8 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 99.1% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rates among adults in Samoa?
- Literacy rates among adults in Samoa was 98.0% in 2019, 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 Samoa?
- The highest recorded value was 99.7% in 2017.
- What is the lowest literacy rates among adults recorded in Samoa?
- The lowest recorded value was 97.9% in 1991.
- How does Samoa rank for literacy rates among adults?
- Samoa ranks 16th out of 89 countries with data for 2019.
- Is literacy rates among adults rising or falling in Samoa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Samoa 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.