List of countries by literacy rate

World map indicating literacy by country in 2011 (2011 UN Human Development Report) Grey = no data

This is a list of countries by literacy rate.

The figures from the report represent a mixture of data collected by the CIA World Book 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)^{[citation needed]}. Of all the illiterate adults in the world, two-thirds are women; extremely low literacy rates are concentrated in three regions (South and West Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa), where around one-third of the men and half of all women are illiterate^{[citation needed]}

Country	Literacy rate (all)	Male Literacy	Female Literacy	Criteria
-9e99	-9e99	!a	-9e99
World	85%	88.5%	79.8%	age 15 and over can read and write (2008 est.)
Afghanistan	34%	49%	18%	age 15 and over can read and write
Albania	98.7%	99.2%	98.3%	age 9 and over can read and write (2001 Census)
Algeria	73%	81%	79%	age 15 and over can read and write (2006 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	90.4%	N/A	N/A	age 15 and over can read and write (2010 census.)
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	77.6%	85.1%	70.9%	age 15 and over can read and write (2008 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	94.2%	96.7%	91.5%	age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est. by world bank)
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)
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%	83%	63.5%	age 10 and over can read and write
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	99%	99%	99%	age 21 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	96%	96.7%	93%	age 15 and over can read and write (2011 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	71.5%	78.3%	65.3%	age 15 and over can read and write (2010 census)
Gibraltar	81%	N/A	N/A
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	76.03%	80%	72.54%	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	61%	63.8%	58.3%	age 15 and over can read and write
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	73%	80.9%	64.6%	age 15 and over can read and write (2011 census)
Indonesia	92.81%	95.59%	90.07%	age 15 and over can read and write (2011 census)
Iran	85%	85%	90%	age 15 and over can read and write (2002 est.)
Iraq	78.2%	86%	81%	age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.)
Ireland, Republic of	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)
Ivory Coast	56.2%	65.2%	46.6%	age 15 and over can read and write (2010 est.)
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%	93%	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, Republic of	91.9%	96.6%	87.5%	age 15 and over can read and write (2007 Census)
Kuwait	94%	94.4%	97%	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	90%	93.1%	90%	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, Republic of	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)
Maldives	93.8%	93%	94.7%	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	87%	86.8%	90%	age 15 and over can read and write (2005 census)]
Pakistan	57%	69.3%	45%	age 15 and over can read and write (2013 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	95.4%	95.0%	95.8%	age 15 and over can read and write (2008 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	96%	90.4%	81.3%	age 15 and over can read and write (2012 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	70%	71.8%	76%	age 15 and over can read and write (2005 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	85%	86%	85%	age 15 and over can read and write (2006 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	78.2%	86%	70.7%	age 15 and over can read and write (2003 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	78%	83.4%	82%	age 15 and over can read and write (2005 census)
Turkey	94.9%	98.3%	91.6%	age 15 and over can read and write (2012 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	90%	90%	90%	age 15 and over can read and write (2005 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.)
United States Virgin Islands	90-95% est.	N/A	N/A	age 15 and over can read and write (2005 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	95.1%	95.1%	95.1%	age 6 and over can read and write (2011 census)
Vietnam	94%	96.1%	92%	age 15 and over can read and write (2002 est.)
Wallis and Futuna	50%	50%	50%	age 15 and over can read and write (1969 est.)
West Bank	95%	98%	98%	age 15 and over can read and write (2009 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

• International Literacy Day
• Literacy
• Compulsory education

Notes

• ^ CIA World Book
• ^ Tables can be found [12]