Literacy Rates

Literacy Rate by Country 2025

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Total Population Literacy Rate

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Country
Total Population Literacy Rate
Literacy Rate - Male
Literacy Rate - Female
Data Year
Ukraine Flag
Ukraine100%100%100%2021
Uzbekistan Flag
Uzbekistan100%100%100%2022
North Korea Flag
North Korea100%100%100%2015
Kazakhstan Flag
Kazakhstan100%99.8%99.7%2020
Azerbaijan Flag
Azerbaijan100%99.9%99.7%2023
Finland Flag
Finland100%
Norway Flag
Norway100%
Georgia Flag
Georgia100%99.6%99.7%2022
Luxembourg Flag
Luxembourg100%
Guam Flag
Guam100%99.8%99.7%2000
Andorra Flag
Andorra100%100%100%2016
Greenland Flag
Greenland100%100%100%2015
Liechtenstein Flag
Liechtenstein100%
Belarus Flag
Belarus99.9%99.9%99.9%2019
Latvia Flag
Latvia99.9%99.9%99.9%2021
Estonia Flag
Estonia99.9%99.9%99.9%2021
San Marino Flag
San Marino99.9%99.9%99.9%2022
Poland Flag
Poland99.8%99.8%99.8%2021
Tajikistan Flag
Tajikistan99.8%99.8%99.7%2015
Armenia Flag
Armenia99.8%99.8%99.7%2020
Lithuania Flag
Lithuania99.8%99.8%99.8%2021
Russia Flag
Russia99.7%99.7%99.7%2021
Cuba Flag
Cuba99.7%99.6%99.7%2021
Turkmenistan Flag
Turkmenistan99.7%99.8%99.6%2015
Slovenia Flag
Slovenia99.7%99.7%99.7%2015
Kyrgyzstan Flag
Kyrgyzstan99.6%99.7%99.5%2019
Moldova Flag
Moldova99.6%99.7%99.5%2021
Barbados Flag
Barbados99.6%99.6%99.6%2014
Croatia Flag
Croatia99.4%99.7%99.2%2021
Cyprus Flag
Cyprus99.4%99.6%99.2%2021
Tonga Flag
Tonga99.4%99.4%99.5%2021
Italy Flag
Italy99.2%99.4%99%2018
Hungary Flag
Hungary99.1%99.1%99.1%2021
Fiji Flag
Fiji99.1%99.1%99.1%2018
Samoa Flag
Samoa99.1%99%99.3%2021
United States Flag
United States99%
Japan Flag
Japan99%
Germany Flag
Germany99%
United Kingdom Flag
United Kingdom99%
Argentina Flag
Argentina99%98.9%99.1%2018
Netherlands Flag
Netherlands99%
Sweden Flag
Sweden99%
Czech Republic Flag
Czech Republic99%99%99%2011
Serbia Flag
Serbia99%99.9%99.1%2019
Ireland Flag
Ireland99%
New Zealand Flag
New Zealand99%
Mongolia Flag
Mongolia99%99.1%99.2%2020
Albania Flag
Albania99%98.7%98.2%2022
Montenegro Flag
Montenegro99%99.4%98.5%2021
Antigua and Barbuda Flag
Antigua and Barbuda99%98.4%99.4%2015
Romania Flag
Romania98.9%99.1%98.7%2021
Cayman Islands Flag
Cayman Islands98.9%98.7%99%2021
South Korea Flag
South Korea98.8%99.2%98.4%
Uruguay Flag
Uruguay98.8%98.5%99%2019
Spain Flag
Spain98.6%99%98%2020
Grenada Flag
Grenada98.6%98.6%98.6%2014
Taiwan Flag
Taiwan98.5%99.7%97.3%2014
Jordan Flag
Jordan98.4%98.7%98.4%2021
Bulgaria Flag
Bulgaria98.4%98.7%98.2%2021
North Macedonia Flag
North Macedonia98.4%99.1%97.6%2020
Marshall Islands Flag
Marshall Islands98.3%98.3%98.2%2011
United Arab Emirates Flag
United Arab Emirates98%98.8%97.2%2022
Palestine Flag
Palestine98%98.8%96.2%2022
Costa Rica Flag
Costa Rica98%98%98.1%2021
Bosnia and Herzegovina Flag
Bosnia and Herzegovina98%99.4%98.1%2022
Bahrain Flag
Bahrain98%99.9%94.9%2022
Trinidad and Tobago Flag
Trinidad and Tobago98%99.2%98.7%2000
Aruba Flag
Aruba98%97.8%97.8%2020
Greece Flag
Greece97.9%98.5%97.4%2018
Maldives Flag
Maldives97.9%97.6%98.4%2021
Israel Flag
Israel97.8%98.7%96.8%2011
Saudi Arabia Flag
Saudi Arabia97.6%98.6%96%2020
Brunei Flag
Brunei97.6%98.3%96.9%2021
Venezuela Flag
Venezuela97.5%97.4%97.7%2022
Singapore Flag
Singapore97.5%98.9%96.1%2020
Macau Flag
Macau97.1%98.5%95.9%2021
China Flag
China97%98.5%95.2%2020
Chile Flag
Chile97%97.1%97%2022
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Flag
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines97%1980
American Samoa Flag
American Samoa97%1980
New Caledonia Flag
New Caledonia96.9%97.3%96.5%2015
Turkey Flag
Turkey96.7%99.1%94.4%2019
Palau Flag
Palau96.6%96.8%96.3%2015
Kuwait Flag
Kuwait96.5%97.1%95.4%2020
Philippines Flag
Philippines96.3%95.7%96.9%2019
Indonesia Flag
Indonesia96%97.4%94.6%2020
Portugal Flag
Portugal95.9%97.8%95.9%2021
Seychelles Flag
Seychelles95.9%95.4%96.4%2020
Vietnam Flag
Vietnam95.8%97%94.6%2022
Oman Flag
Oman95.7%97%92.7%2022
Panama Flag
Panama95.7%98.8%95.4%2019
Colombia Flag
Colombia95.6%95.4%95.9%2020
Dominican Republic Flag
Dominican Republic95.5%95.4%95.6%2022
Equatorial Guinea Flag
Equatorial Guinea95.3%97.4%93%2015
Mexico Flag
Mexico95.2%96.1%94.5%2020
South Africa Flag
South Africa95%95.5%94.5%2021
Malaysia Flag
Malaysia95%96.2%93.6%2019
Lebanon Flag
Lebanon95%96.9%93.3%2019
Suriname Flag
Suriname95%96.5%93.4%2021
Malta Flag
Malta94.9%93.4%96.4%2021
Sao Tome and Principe Flag
Sao Tome and Principe94.8%96.5%91.1%2022
Brazil Flag
Brazil94.7%94.4%94.9%2022
Peru Flag
Peru94.5%97%92%2020
Paraguay Flag
Paraguay94.5%94.9%94.2%2020
Thailand Flag
Thailand94.1%95.5%92.8%2021
Bolivia Flag
Bolivia94%94.9%94%2020
Ecuador Flag
Ecuador93.9%94.9%93.1%2022
Qatar Flag
Qatar93.5%92.4%94.7%2017
Puerto Rico Flag
Puerto Rico92.4%92.4%92.4%2021
Sri Lanka Flag
Sri Lanka92.3%93%91.6%2022
Namibia Flag
Namibia92.3%90.6%92.3%2021
Mauritius Flag
Mauritius92.2%93.5%90.5%2021
Libya Flag
Libya91%96.7%85.6%2015
Cape Verde Flag
Cape Verde90.8%94.2%87.4%2022
El Salvador Flag
El Salvador90%91.3%87.3%2020
Guyana Flag
Guyana90%89.3%88.4%2022
Ivory Coast Flag
Ivory Coast89.9%93.1%86.7%2019
Zimbabwe Flag
Zimbabwe89.7%88.3%89.7%2021
Myanmar Flag
Myanmar89.1%92.4%86.3%2019
Vanuatu Flag
Vanuatu89.1%89.8%88.4%2021
Iran Flag
Iran89%92.4%88.7%2022
Eswatini Flag
Eswatini89%88.3%88.5%2020
Jamaica Flag
Jamaica88.7%84%93.1%2015
Honduras Flag
Honduras88.5%88.2%88.7%2019
Botswana Flag
Botswana88.5%88%88.9%2015
Laos Flag
Laos88%91.4%81.4%2022
Zambia Flag
Zambia86.7%90.6%83.1%2020
Syria Flag
Syria86.4%91.7%81%2015
Gabon Flag
Gabon86%86.2%84.7%2022
Iraq Flag
Iraq85.6%91.2%79.9%2017
Guatemala Flag
Guatemala84%87.7%79.3%2022
Cambodia Flag
Cambodia84%88.4%79.8%2022
Kenya Flag
Kenya83%85.5%79.8%2022
Nicaragua Flag
Nicaragua83%82.4%82.8%2015
Tunisia Flag
Tunisia82.7%89.1%82.7%2021
Tanzania Flag
Tanzania82%85.5%78.2%2022
Lesotho Flag
Lesotho82%81%72.9%2022
Algeria Flag
Algeria81.4%87.4%75.3%2018
DR Congo Flag
DR Congo81%89.5%70.8%2022
Belize Flag
Belize81%2001
Republic of the Congo Flag
Republic of the Congo80.6%85.9%75.4%2021
Ghana Flag
Ghana80%83.5%74.5%2020
Uganda Flag
Uganda79%84%74.3%2021
Cameroon Flag
Cameroon78%2020
Madagascar Flag
Madagascar77.3%78.8%75.8%2022
Morocco Flag
Morocco77%84.8%67.4%2022
Solomon Islands Flag
Solomon Islands77%1999
Eritrea Flag
Eritrea76.6%84.4%68.9%2018
India Flag
India76%82.4%65.8%2022
Burundi Flag
Burundi76%81.3%68.4%2022
Rwanda Flag
Rwanda75.9%78.7%73.3%2021
Bangladesh Flag
Bangladesh74.9%77.8%72%2020
Egypt Flag
Egypt73.1%78.8%67.4%2022
Angola Flag
Angola72%2022
Bhutan Flag
Bhutan72%77.9%62.8%2022
Nepal Flag
Nepal71.2%81%63.3%2021
Yemen Flag
Yemen70.1%85.1%55%2015
Timor-Leste Flag
Timor-Leste68.1%71.9%64.2%2020
Malawi Flag
Malawi68%71.2%63.7%2022
Mauritania Flag
Mauritania67%71.8%62.2%2021
Togo Flag
Togo66.5%80%55.1%2019
Papua New Guinea Flag
Papua New Guinea64.2%65.6%62.8%2015
Mozambique Flag
Mozambique63.4%74.1%53.8%2021
Nigeria Flag
Nigeria62%71.3%52.7%2018
Comoros Flag
Comoros62%67%56.9%2022
Haiti Flag
Haiti61.7%65.3%58.3%2016
Sudan Flag
Sudan60.7%65.4%56.1%2018
Gambia Flag
Gambia59%65.2%51.2%2022
Pakistan Flag
Pakistan58%69.3%46.5%2019
Senegal Flag
Senegal58%68.4%45.4%2022
Guinea-Bissau Flag
Guinea-Bissau52.9%67%39.9%2022
Ethiopia Flag
Ethiopia51.8%57.2%44.4%2017
Sierra Leone Flag
Sierra Leone48.6%56.3%41.3%2022
Liberia Flag
Liberia48.3%62.7%34.1%2017
Benin Flag
Benin47%56.9%35%2022
Burkina Faso Flag
Burkina Faso46%54.5%37.8%2021
Guinea Flag
Guinea45.3%61.2%31.3%2021
Somalia Flag
Somalia41%2022
Niger Flag
Niger38%45.8%29%2022
Central African Republic Flag
Central African Republic37.5%49.2%26.2%2020
Afghanistan Flag
Afghanistan37.3%52.1%22.6%2021
South Sudan Flag
South Sudan34.5%40.3%28.9%2018
Mali Flag
Mali31%46.2%25.7%2020
Chad Flag
Chad27%35.4%18.2%2022
  • Literacy rates display the % of adults ages 15 and above “who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.”
  • Many countries, particularly in North America and Western Europe, utilize a more stringent definition of literacy. Those inculde include the United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Japan, France, and Germany.