Literacy rates among adults in Uruguay
Uruguay: Literacy rates among adults was 98.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rates among adults in Uruguay, 1975–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Uruguay recorded 98.9% for literacy rates among adults in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 0.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rates among adults in Uruguay peaked at 99.0% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 93.9%, in 1975.
That places Uruguay 10th out of 89 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.
Literacy rates among adults in Uruguay, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 93.9% | — |
| 1985 | 95.4% | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 96.8% | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 97.8% | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 97.9% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 98.2% | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 98.3% | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 98.1% | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 98.3% | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 98.4% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 98.4% | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 98.4% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 98.5% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 98.6% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 98.6% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 98.7% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 98.8% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 99.0% | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 98.8% | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 98.8% | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 98.9% | +0.1% |
Uruguay compared with similar countries
- Uruguay's 98.9% is above the median for high income countries, which is 97.7%, 1.0× the median. (12 countries reporting)
- Uruguay's 98.9% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 93.9% | 93.9% | 93.9% | 1 |
| 1980s | 95.4% | 95.4% | 95.4% | 1 |
| 1990s | 96.8% | 96.8% | 96.8% | 1 |
| 2000s | 98.0% | 97.8% | 98.3% | 4 |
| 2010s | 98.5% | 98.1% | 98.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 98.9% | 98.8% | 99.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Uruguay
More education data for Uruguay
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 25,390 (2010)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 2,520 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 57,513 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 54,922 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 337,808 (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 287,527 (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.35 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0849 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rates among adults in Uruguay?
- Literacy rates among adults in Uruguay was 98.9% 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 Uruguay?
- The highest recorded value was 99.0% in 2020.
- What is the lowest literacy rates among adults recorded in Uruguay?
- The lowest recorded value was 93.9% in 1975.
- How does Uruguay rank for literacy rates among adults?
- Uruguay ranks 10th out of 89 countries with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rates among adults rising or falling in Uruguay?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Uruguay 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.