Literacy rates among adults in Turkey
Turkey: Literacy rates among adults was 97.3% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Literacy rates among adults in Turkey, 1975–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Turkey recorded 97.3% for literacy rates among adults in 2021. That is the highest value across all 19 years on record.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 3.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rates among adults in Turkey peaked at 97.3% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 61.6%, in 1975.
That places Turkey 23rd out of 89 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 19 years of available data.
Literacy rates among adults in Turkey, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 61.6% | — |
| 1980 | 65.7% | +6.6% |
| 1985 | 76.0% | +15.6% |
| 1990 | 79.2% | +4.3% |
| 2004 | 87.4% | +10.3% |
| 2005 | 88.2% | +1.0% |
| 2006 | 88.1% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 88.7% | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 90.8% | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 92.7% | +2.0% |
| 2011 | 94.1% | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 94.9% | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 95.3% | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 95.4% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 95.6% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 95.9% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 96.2% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 96.7% | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 97.3% | +0.5% |
Turkey compared with similar countries
- Turkey's 97.3% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 95.5%, 1.0× the median. (33 countries reporting)
- Turkey's 97.3% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 99.7%, 98% of the median. (10 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 61.6% | 61.6% | 61.6% | 1 |
| 1980s | 70.8% | 65.7% | 76.0% | 2 |
| 1990s | 79.2% | 79.2% | 79.2% | 1 |
| 2000s | 88.6% | 87.4% | 90.8% | 5 |
| 2010s | 95.2% | 92.7% | 96.7% | 9 |
| 2020s | 97.3% | 97.3% | 97.3% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Turkey
More education data for Turkey
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 788,294 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 184,302 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.05 million (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 980,973 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 12.31 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 5.54 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.87 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0649 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rates among adults in Turkey?
- Literacy rates among adults in Turkey was 97.3% in 2021, 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 Turkey?
- The highest recorded value was 97.3% in 2021.
- What is the lowest literacy rates among adults recorded in Turkey?
- The lowest recorded value was 61.6% in 1975.
- How does Turkey rank for literacy rates among adults?
- Turkey ranks 23rd out of 89 countries with data for 2021.
- Is literacy rates among adults rising or falling in Turkey?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Turkey 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.