List of countries by literacy rate
List of countries by literacy rate
The figures from the report represent a mixture of data collected by the CIA World Book [1][2] and national self-reported data. Where data was unavailable older figures were used. For highly developed/high income countries where literacy statistics were not collected, a rate of 99% was assumed.
List
Over two-thirds of the world's 793 million illiterate adults are found in only eight countries (Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Pakistan). Of all the illiterate adults in the world, two-thirds are women; extremely low literacy rates are concentrated in three regions (the Arab states, South and West Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa), where around one-third of the men and half of all women are illiterate.
| Country | Literacy rate (all) | Male Literacy | Female Literacy | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World | 83.7% | 88.3% | 79.2% | age 15 and over can read and write (2005 est.) |
 Afghanistan |
28.1% | 43.1% | 12.6% | age 15 and over can read and write (2000 est.) |
 Albania |
98.7% | 99.2% | 98.3% | age 9 and over can read and write (2001 Census) |
 Algeria |
69.9% | 79.6% | 60.1% | age 15 and over can read and write (2002 est.) |
 American Samoa |
97% | 98% | 97% | age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.) |
 Andorra |
100% | 100% | 100% | age 15 and over can read and write |
 Angola |
70.1% | 82.7 | 58.1% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Anguilla |
95% | 95% | 95% | age 12 and over can read and write (1984 est.) |
 Antigua and Barbuda |
85.8% | N/A | N/A | age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling (2003 est.) |
 Argentina |
97.2% | 97.2% | 97.2% | age 15 and over can read and write (2001 census) |
 Armenia |
99.6% | 99.7% | 99.4% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Aruba |
97.3% | 97.5% | 97.1% | age 15 and over can read and write (2000 census) |
 Australia |
99% | 99% | 99% | age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.) |
 Austria |
98% | N/A | N/A | age 15 and over can read and write |
 Azerbaijan |
99.8% | 99.9% | 99.7% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 census) |
 Bahamas, The |
95.6% | 94.7% | 96.5% | age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.) |
 Bahrain |
94.6% | 96.1% | 91.6% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 census) |
 Bangladesh |
56.8% | 61.3% | 52.2% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Barbados |
99.7% | 99.7% | 99.7% | age 15 and over has ever attended school (2002 est.) |
 Belarus |
99.6% | 99.8% | 99.5% | age 15 and over can read and write (2009 census) |
 Belgium |
99% | 99% | 99% | age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.) |
 Belize |
76.9% | 76.7% | 77.1% | age 15 and over can read and write (2000 census) |
 Benin |
42.4% | 55.2% | 30.3% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 census) |
 Bermuda |
98% | 98% | 99% | age 15 and over can read and write (2005 est.) |
 Bhutan |
47% | 60% | 34% | age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.) |
 Bolivia |
86.7% | 93.1% | 80.7% | age 15 and over can read and write (2001 census) |
 Bosnia and Herzegovina |
97.9% | 99.4% | 96.5% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Botswana |
84.5% | 84% | 84.9% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Brazil |
88.6% | 88.4% | 88.8% | age 15 and over can read and write (2004 est.) |
 British Virgin Islands |
97.8% | N/A | N/A | age 15 and over can read and write (1991 est.) |
 Brunei |
92.7% | 95.2% | 90.2% | age 15 and over can read and write (2001 census) |
 Bulgaria |
98.4% | 98.7% | 98% | age 15 and over can read and write (2011) |
 Burkina Faso |
21.8% | 29.4% | 15.2% | age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.) |
 Burma |
89.9% | 93.9% | 86.4% | age 15 and over can read and write (2006 est.) |
 Burundi |
67.2% | 72.9% | 61.8% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Cambodia |
73.6% | 84.7% | 64.1% | age 15 and over can read and write (2004 est.) |
 Cameroon |
75.9% | 84% | 67.8% | age 15 and over can read and write (2001 est.) |
 Canada |
99% | 99% | 99% | age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.) |
 Cape Verde |
84.3% | 89.3% | 79.4% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Cayman Islands |
98% | 98% | 98% | age 15 and over has ever attended school (1970 est.) |
 Central African Republic |
56% | 69.3% | 43.2% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Chad |
34.5% | 45% | 24.2% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Chile |
95.7% | 95.8% | 95.6% | age 15 and over can read and write (2002 census) |
 China |
92.2% | 96% | 88.5% | age 15 and over can read and write (2007) |
 Christmas Island |
N/A | N/A | N/A | |
 Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
N/A | N/A | N/A | |
 Colombia |
90.4% | 90.1% | 90.7% | age 15 and over can read and write (2005 census) |
 Comoros |
74.9% | 80.2% | 69.7% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Congo, Democratic Republic of the |
66.8% | 76.9% | 57% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Congo, Republic of the |
83.8% | 89.6% | 78.4% | age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.) |
 Cook Islands |
95% | N/A | N/A | |
 Costa Rica |
94.9% | 94.7% | 95.1% | age 15 and over can read and write (2000 census) |
 Cote d'Ivoire |
56.2% | 65.2% | 46.6% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Croatia |
98.8% | 99.5% | 98.2% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Cuba |
99.8% | 99.8% | 99.8% | age 15 and over can read and write (2002 census) |
 Cyprus |
97.6% | 98.9% | 96.3% | age 15 and over can read and write (2001 census) |
 Czech Republic |
99% | 99% | 99% | age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.) |
 Denmark |
99% | 99% | 99% | age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.) |
 Djibouti |
67.9% | 78% | 58.4% | age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.) |
 Dominica |
94% | 94% | 94% | age 15 and over has ever attended school (2003 est.) |
 Dominican Republic |
87% | 86.8% | 87.2% | age 15 and over can read and write (2002 census) |
 Ecuador |
91% | 92.3% | 89.7% | age 15 and over can read and write (2001 census) |
 Egypt |
72% | 80.3% | 63.5% | age 10 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 El Salvador |
81.1% | 82.8% | 79.6% | age 15 and over can read and write (2007 census) |
 Equatorial Guinea |
93.9% | 97.1% | 90.6% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Eritrea |
80.0% | 90.2% | 69.8% | age 15 and over can read and write (2013 est.) |
 Estonia |
99.8% | 99.8% | 99.8% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 census) |
 Ethiopia |
42.7% | 50.3% | 35.1% | age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.) |
 Falkland Islands |
N/A | N/A | N/A | |
 Faroe Islands |
N/A | N/A | N/A | Note - probably 99%, the same as Denmark proper |
 Fiji |
93.7% | 95.5% | 91.9% | age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.) |
 Finland |
100% | 100% | 100% | age 15 and over can read and write (2000 est.) |
 France |
99% | 99% | 99% | age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.) |
 French Polynesia |
98% | 98% | 98% | age 14 and over can read and write (1977 est.) |
 Gabon |
88.4% | 91.9% | 84.9% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Gambia, The |
50% | 60% | 40.4% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Gaza Strip |
92.4% | 96.7% | 88% | age 15 and over can read and write (2004 est.) |
 Georgia |
99.7% | 99.8% | 99.7% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Germany |
99% | 99% | 99% | age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.) |
 Ghana |
67.3% | 73.2% | 61.2% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 census) |
 Gibraltar |
above 80% | NA | NA | |
 Greece |
96% | 97.8% | 94.2% | age 15 and over can read and write (2001 census) |
 Greenland |
100% | 100% | 100% | age 15 and over can read and write (2001 est.) |
 Grenada |
96% | NA | NA | age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.) |
 Guam |
99% | 99% | 99% | age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) |
 Guatemala |
69.1% | 75.4% | 63.3% | age 15 and over can read and write (2002 census) |
 Guernsey |
N/A | N/A | N/A | |
 Guinea |
41% | 52% | 30% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Guinea-Bissau |
54.2% | 68.2% | 40.6% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Guyana |
91.8% | 92% | 91.6% | age 15 and over has ever attended school (2002 Census) |
 Haiti |
52.9% | 54.8% | 51.2% | age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.) |
| Holy See (Vatican City) | 100% | 100% | 100% | |
 Honduras |
80% | 79.8% | 80.2% | age 15 and over can read and write (2001 census) |
 Hong Kong |
93.5% | 96.9% | 89.6% | age 15 and over has ever attended school (2002 census) |
 Hungary |
99% | 99.2% | 98.9% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Iceland |
99% | 99% | 99% | age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.) |
 India |
74.04% | 82.14% | 65.46% | age 15 and over can read and write (2011 census) |
 Indonesia |
90.4% | 94% | 86.8% | age 15 and over can read and write (2004 est.) |
 Iran |
77% | 83.5% | 70.4% | age 15 and over can read and write (2002 est.) |
 Iraq |
78.2% | 86% | 70.6% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Ireland |
99% | 99% | 99% | age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.) |
 Isle of Man |
N/A | N/A | N/A | |
 Israel |
97.1% | 98.5% | 95.9% | age 15 and over can read and write (2004 est.) |
 Italy |
98.4% | 98.8% | 98% | age 15 and over can read and write (2001 census) |
 Jamaica |
87.9% | 84.1% | 91.6% | age 15 and over has ever attended school (2003 est.) |
 Japan |
99% | 99% | 99% | age 15 and over can read and write (2002 census) |
 Jersey |
N/A | N/A | N/A | |
 Jordan |
92.6% | 95.8% | 89.2% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Kazakhstan |
99.5% | 99.8% | 99.3% | age 15 and over can read and write (1999 est.) |
 Kenya |
87.4% | 90.6% | 84.2% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Kiribati |
N/A | N/A | N/A | |
 Korea, North |
99% | 99% | 99% | age 15 and over can read and write (1991 est.) |
 Korea, South |
97.9% | 99.2% | 96.6% | age 15 and over can read and write (2002) |
 Kosovo |
91.9% | 96.6% | 87.5% | age 15 and over can read and write (2007 Census) |
 Kuwait |
93.3% | 94.4% | 91% | age 15 and over can read and write (2005 census) |
 Kyrgyzstan |
98.7% | 99.3% | 98.1% (1999 census) | |
 Laos |
73% | 83% | 63% | age 15 and over can read and write (2005 Census) |
 Latvia |
99.8% | 99.8% | 99.8% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Lebanon |
87.4% | 93.1% | 82.2% | age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.) |
 Lesotho |
89.6% | 83.3% | 95.6% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Liberia |
60.8% | 64.8% | 56.8% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Libya |
89.2% | 95.6% | 82.7% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Liechtenstein |
100% | 100% | 100% | age 10 and over can read and write |
 Lithuania |
99.7% | 99.7% | 99.7% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Luxembourg |
100% | 100% | 100% | age 15 and over can read and write (2000 est.) |
 Macau |
91.3% | 95.3% | 87.8% | age 15 and over can read and write (2001 census) |
 Macedonia |
97.3% | 98.7% | 95.9% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Madagascar |
64.5% | 67.4% | 61.6% | age 15 and over can read and write (2009 est.) |
 Malawi |
74.8% | 81.1% | 68.5% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Malaysia |
92.1% | 92% | 89.8% | age 15 and over can read and write (2009 census)[1] |
 Maldives |
99.3% | 99.2% | 99.4% | age 15 and over can read and write (2006 Census) |
 Mali |
31.1% | 43.4% | 20.3% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Malta |
92.8% | 91.7% | 93.9% | age 10 and over can read and write (2005 Census) |
 Marshall Islands |
93.7% | 93.6% | 93.7% | age 15 and over can read and write (1999 est.) |
 Mauritania |
58% | 64.9% | 51.2% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Mauritius |
89.8% | 92.3% | 87.3% | age 15 and over can read and write (2011 Census) |
 Mexico |
86.1% | 86.9% | 85.3% | age 15 and over can read and write (2005 Census) |
 Micronesia, Federated States of |
89% | 91% | 88% | age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.) |
 Moldova |
98.5% | 99.1% | 98.1% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Monaco |
99% | 99% | 99% | age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.) |
 Mongolia |
97.4% | 96.9% | 97.9% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Montenegro |
98.4% | 99.4% | 97.4% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Montserrat |
97% | 97% | 97% | age 15 and over has ever attended school (1970 est.) |
 Morocco |
56.1% | 68.9% | 43.9% | age 15 and over can read and write (2009 est.) |
 Mozambique |
56.1% | 70.8% | 42.8% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Namibia |
88.8% | 89% | 88.5% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Nauru |
N/A | N/A | N/A | |
 Nepal |
60.3% | 73% | 48.3% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 census) |
 Netherlands |
99% | 99% | 99% | age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.) |
 New Caledonia |
96.2% | 96.8% | 95.5% | age 15 and over can read and write (1996 census) |
 New Zealand |
99% | 99% | 99% | age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.) |
 Nicaragua |
67.5% | 67.2% | 67.8% | age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.) |
 Niger |
28.7% | 42.9% | 15.1% | age 15 and over can read and write (2005 est.) |
 Nigeria |
61.3% | 72.1% | 50.4% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Niue |
95% | N/A | N/A | |
 Norfolk Island |
N/A | N/A | N/A | |
 Northern Mariana Islands |
97% | 97% | 96% | age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.) |
 Norway |
100% | 100% | 100% | |
 Oman |
81.4% | 86.8% | 73.5% | age 15 and over can read and write (2003 census) |
 Pakistan |
54.9% | 68.6% | 30.3% | age 15 and over can read and write (2009 est.) |
 Palau |
92% | 93% | 90% | age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.) |
 Panama |
91.9% | 92.5% | 91.2% | age 15 and over can read and write (2000 census) |
 Papua New Guinea |
57.3% | 63.4% | 50.9% | age 15 and over can read and write (2000 census) |
 Paraguay |
94% | 94.9% | 93% | age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.) |
 Peru |
92.9% | 96.4% | 89.4% | age 15 and over can read and write (2007 Census) |
 Philippines |
92.6% | 92.5% | 92.7% | age 15 and over can read and write (2000 census) |
 Pitcairn Islands |
N/A | N/A | N/A | |
 Poland |
99.5% | 99.7% | 99.4% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Portugal |
95.2% | 96.9% | 93.6% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Puerto Rico |
94.1% | 93.9% | 94.4% | age 15 and over can read and write (2002 est.) |
 Qatar |
96.3% | 96.5% | 95.4% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Romania |
97.7% | 98.3% | 97.1% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Russia |
99.6% | 99.7% | 99.5% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Rwanda |
71.1% | 74.8% | 67.5% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
| Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha | 97% | 97% | 98% | age 20 and over can read and write (1987 est.) |
 Saint Kitts and Nevis |
97.8% | N/A | N/A | age 15 and over has ever attended school (2003 est.) |
 Saint Lucia |
90.1% | 89.5% | 90.6% | age 15 and over has ever attended school (2001 est.) |
| Saint Pierre and Miquelon |
99% | 99% | 99% | age 15 and over can read and write (1982 est.) |
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
96% | 96% | 96% | age 15 and over has ever attended school (1970 est.) |
 Samoa |
99.7% | 99.6% | 99.7% | age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.) |
 San Marino |
96% | 97% | 95% | age 10 and over can read and write |
 Sao Tome and Principe |
84.9% | 92.2% | 77.9% | age 15 and over can read and write (2001 census) |
 Saudi Arabia |
86.6% | 90.4% | 81.3% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Senegal |
39.3% | 51.1% | 29.2% | age 15 and over can read and write (2002 est.) |
 Serbia |
97.9% | 99.2% | 96.7% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Seychelles |
91.8% | 91.4% | 92.3% | age 15 and over can read and write (2002 census) |
 Sierra Leone |
35.1% | 46.9% | 24.4% | age 15 and over can read and write (2004 est.) |
 Singapore |
92.5% | 96.6% | 88.6% | age 15 and over can read and write (2000 census) |
 Slovakia |
99.6% | 99.7% | 99.6% | age 15 and over can read and write (2004) |
 Slovenia |
99.7% | 99.7% | 99.7% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Solomon Islands |
N/A | N/A | N/A | |
 Somalia |
37.8% | 49.7% | 25.8% | age 15 and over can read and write (2001 est.) |
 South Africa |
86.4% | 87% | 85.7% | age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.) |
 South Sudan |
27% | 40% | 16% | |
 Spain |
97.7% | 98.5% | 97% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Sri Lanka |
91.2% | 92.6% | 90% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 census) |
 Sudan |
61.1% | 71.8% | 50.5% | age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.) |
 Suriname |
89.6% | 92% | 87.2% | age 15 and over can read and write (2004 census) |
| Svalbard |
N/A | N/A | N/A | |
 Swaziland |
81.6% | 82.6% | 80.8% | age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.) |
 Sweden |
99% | 99% | 99% | age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.) |
 Switzerland |
99% | 99% | 99% | age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.) |
 Syria |
79.6% | 86% | 73.6% | age 15 and over can read and write (2004 census) |
 Taiwan |
98.2% | 99.6% | 96.8% | age 15 and over can read and write (2012) |
 Tajikistan |
99.7% | 99.8% | 99.6% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Tanzania |
69.4% | 77.5% | 62.2% | age 15 and over can read and write (2002 census) |
 Thailand |
92.6% | 94.9% | 90.5% | age 15 and over can read and write (2000 census) |
 Timor-Leste |
58.6% | N/A | N/A | age 15 and over can read and write (2002) |
 Togo |
60.9% | 75.4% | 46.9% | age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.) |
 Tokelau |
N/A | N/A | N/A | |
 Tonga |
98.9% | 98.8% | 99% | can read and write Tongan and/or English (1999 est.) |
 Trinidad and Tobago |
98.6% | 99.1% | 98% | age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.) |
 Tunisia |
74.3% | 83.4% | 65.3% | age 15 and over can read and write (2004 census) |
 Turkey[2] |
94.1% | 97.9% | 90.3% | age 15 and over can read and write (2011 census) |
 Turkmenistan |
98.8% | 99.3% | 98.3% | age 15 and over can read and write (1999 est.) |
 Turks and Caicos Islands |
98% | 99% | 98% | age 15 and over has ever attended school (1970 est.) |
 Tuvalu |
N/A | N/A | N/A | |
 Uganda |
66.8% | 76.8% | 57.7% | age 15 and over can read and write (2002 census) |
 Ukraine |
99.7% | 99.8% | 99.6% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 United Arab Emirates |
77.9% | 76.1% | 81.7% | age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.) |
 United Kingdom |
99% | 99% | 99% | age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling (2003 est.) |
 United States |
99% | 99% | 99% | age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.) |
 Uruguay |
98% | 97.6% | 98.4% | age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.) |
 Uzbekistan |
99.3% | 99.6% | 99% | age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.) |
 Vanuatu |
74% | N/A | N/A | age 15 and over can read and write (1999 census) |
 Venezuela |
93% | 93.3% | 92.7% | age 15 and over can read and write (2001 census) |
 Vietnam |
94% | 96.1% | 92% | age 15 and over can read and write (2002 est.) |
| Virgin Islands | 90-95% est. | N/A | N/A | age 15 and over can read and write (2005 est.) |
| Wallis and Futuna |
50% | 50% | 50% | age 15 and over can read and write (1969 est.) |
| West Bank |
92.4% | 96.7% | 88% | age 15 and over can read and write (2004 est.) |
 Western Sahara |
N/A | N/A | N/A | |
 Yemen |
63.9% | 81.2% | 46.8% | age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.) |
 Zambia |
80.6% | 86.8% | 74.8% | age 15 and over can read and write English (2003 est.) |
 Zimbabwe |
90.7% | 94.2% | 87.2% | age 15 and over can read and write English (2003 est.) |
See also
Notes
References
- ^ Literacy rate; youth male (% of males ages 15-24) in Malaysia www.tradingeconomics.com/malaysia/literacy-rate-youth-male-percent-of-males-ages-15-24-wb-data.html
- ^ Turkish Statistical Institute
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| Digital divide | |||||
| Net international investment position (NIIP) | |||||
