Literacy Rate by Country
Percentage of population aged 15+ who can read and write. Most developed nations have near 99%, while some countries remain below 60%.
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Key Insights
Country Rankings
Top 10 Countries
Bottom 10 Countries
Data Analysis
Value Distribution
How countries are distributed across the value range
Regional Comparison
Average values by world region (Global avg: 92.5%)
Correlation Analysis
Correlation Analysis
Literacy Rate vs GDP per Capita
About This Statistic
Literacy rate measures the ability to read and write among adults. It's a fundamental indicator of educational development and is strongly correlated with economic development.
While most developed countries have achieved near-universal literacy, significant gaps remain in parts of Africa and South Asia, particularly among women and rural populations. Investment in education has dramatically improved global literacy rates over the past century.
Full Data
| Rank ↑ | Country ↕ | Value ↕ |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russian Federation | 99.7% |
| 2 | Italy | 99.2% |
| 3 | Canada | 99.0% |
| 4 | Denmark | 99.0% |
| 5 | Finland | 99.0% |
| 6 | France | 99.0% |
| 7 | Germany | 99.0% |
| 8 | Ireland | 99.0% |
| 9 | Japan | 99.0% |
| 10 | South Korea | 99.0% |
| 11 | Netherlands | 99.0% |
| 12 | Norway | 99.0% |
| 13 | Poland | 99.0% |
| 14 | Sweden | 99.0% |
| 15 | United Kingdom | 99.0% |
| 16 | United States of America | 99.0% |
| 17 | Australia | 99.0% |
| 18 | Austria | 99.0% |
| 19 | Belgium | 99.0% |
| 20 | Spain | 98.6% |
| 21 | Greece | 97.9% |
| 22 | People's Republic of China | 97.0% |
| 23 | Türkiye | 96.7% |
| 24 | Portugal | 96.1% |
| 25 | Indonesia | 96.0% |
| 26 | Vietnam | 95.8% |
| 27 | Mexico | 95.2% |
| 28 | South Africa | 95.0% |
| 29 | Thailand | 94.0% |
| 30 | Brazil | 93.2% |
| 31 | Bangladesh | 74.7% |
| 32 | India | 74.4% |
| 33 | Egypt | 71.2% |
| 34 | Nigeria | 62.0% |
| 35 | Pakistan | 58.0% |
| 36 | Ethiopia | 51.8% |
Topics
Related Statistics
Internet Access
Percentage of population using the internet. UAE has 100% penetration, while Pakistan remains at 21%.
GDP per Capita
Gross Domestic Product per person in USD. Luxembourg leads at $135,605, while many developing nations remain below $5,000.
Gender Gap
World Economic Forum score (0-1) measuring gender equality. Iceland leads at 0.912, with Northern Europe dominating rankings.
Data Source
This data comes from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2021).
View Original Source