Education > Literacy > Total population: Countries Compared

DEFINITION: This entry includes a definition of literacy and Census Bureau percentages for the total population, males, and females. There are no universal definitions and standards of literacy. Unless otherwise specified, all rates are based on the most common definition - the ability to read and write at a specified age. Detailing the standards that individual countries use to assess the ability to read and write is beyond the scope of our source. Information on literacy, while not a perfect measure of educational results, is probably the most easily available and valid for international comparisons.

SHOW ALL

LESS

CONTENTS

MAP
INTERESTING
Q+A

SHARE TWEET EMBED EXPORT

Totals

#	COUNTRY	AMOUNT	DATE
=1	Holy See (Vatican City)Vatican City	100%	2011
=1	LiechtensteinLiechtenstein	100%	2008
=1	NorwayNorway	100%	2008
=1	AndorraAndorra	100%	2008
=1	GeorgiaGeorgia	100%	2004
=1	GreenlandGreenland	100%	2001
=1	LuxembourgLuxembourg	100%	2000
=1	FinlandFinland	100%	2000
=9	EstoniaEstonia	99.8%	2003
=9	LatviaLatvia	99.8%	2003
=9	PolandPoland	99.8%	2003
=12	SloveniaSlovenia	99.7%	2008
=12	SamoaSamoa	99.7%	2003
=12	UkraineUkraine	99.7%	2003
=12	BarbadosBarbados	99.7%	2002
=16	SlovakiaSlovakia	99.6%	2004
=16	LithuaniaLithuania	99.6%	2003
=16	RussiaRussia	99.6%	2003
=16	BelarusBelarus	99.6%	2003
20	KazakhstanKazakhstan	99.5%	1999
=21	TajikistanTajikistan	99.4%	2003
=21	HungaryHungary	99.4%	2003
23	UzbekistanUzbekistan	99.3%	2003
=24	MoldovaMoldova	99.1%	2005
=24	MongoliaMongolia	99.1%	2003
=26	North KoreaNorth Korea	99%	2011
=26	CanadaCanada	99%	2003
=26	NetherlandsNetherlands	99%	2003
=26	MonacoMonaco	99%	2003
=26	FranceFrance	99%	2003
=26	IrelandIreland	99%	2003
=26	AustraliaAustralia	99%	2003
=26	DenmarkDenmark	99%	2003
=26	United KingdomUnited Kingdom	99%	2003
=26	New ZealandNew Zealand	99%	2003
=26	Czech RepublicCzech Republic	99%	2003
=26	United StatesUnited States	99%	2003
=26	SwedenSweden	99%	2003
=26	BelgiumBelgium	99%	2003
=26	SwitzerlandSwitzerland	99%	2003
=26	IcelandIceland	99%	2003
=26	GermanyGermany	99%	2003
=26	JapanJapan	99%	2002
=26	GuamGuam	99%	1990
=26	Saint Pierre and MiquelonSt Pierre+	99%	1982
	Group of 7 countries (G7) averageGroup of 7 countries (G7) average (profile)	98.93%	2003
46	TongaTonga	98.9%	1999
=47	AzerbaijanAzerbaijan	98.8%	2003
=47	GuyanaGuyana	98.8%	2003
=47	TurkmenistanTurkmenistan	98.8%	1999
50	KyrgyzstanKyrgyzstan	98.7%	1999
=51	ItalyItaly	98.6%	2003
=51	Trinidad and TobagoTrinidad+	98.6%	2003
=51	ArmeniaArmenia	98.6%	2003
=51	BulgariaBulgaria	98.6%	2003
55	CroatiaCroatia	98.5%	2003
	High income OECD countries averageHigh income OECD countries average (profile)	98.45%	2003
	European Union averageEuropean Union average (profile)	98.43%	2003
56	RomaniaRomania	98.4%	2003
57	South KoreaSouth Korea	98.1%	2003
=58	AustriaAustria	98%	2008
=58	BermudaBermuda	98%	2005
=58	UruguayUruguay	98%	2003
=58	French PolynesiaFr. Polynesia	98%	1977
=58	Cayman IslandsCayman Islands	98%	1970
=58	Turks and Caicos IslandsTurks+	98%	1970
64	SpainSpain	97.9%	2003
=65	Saint Kitts and NevisSt Kitts+	97.8%	2003
=65	British Virgin IslandsBrit. Virgin Isl.	97.8%	1991
	NATO countries averageNATO average (profile)	97.7%	2003
67	MartiniqueMartinique	97.7%	2003
68	CyprusCyprus	97.6%	2003
69	GreeceGreece	97.5%	2003
70	ArubaAruba	97.3%	2000
=71	IsraelIsrael	97.1%	2004
=71	ArgentinaArgentina	97.1%	2003
=73	CubaCuba	97%	2003
=73	American SamoaAmerican Samoa	97%	1980
=73	Northern Mariana IslandsN. Mariana	97%	1980
=73	MontserratMontserrat	97%	1970
=77	Netherlands AntillesN. Antilles	96.7%	2003
=77	Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina	96.7%	2000
79	Serbia and MontenegroSerbia+	96.4%	2003
=80	ChileChile	96.2%	2003
=80	New CaledoniaNew Caledonia	96.2%	1996
82	TaiwanTaiwan	96.1%	2003
=83	San MarinoSan Marino	96%	2011
=83	Costa RicaCosta Rica	96%	2003
=83	ThailandThailand	96%	2003
=83	GrenadaGrenada	96%	2003
=83	Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesSt Vincent+	96%	1970
88	PhilippinesPhilippines	95.9%	2003
	Non-religious countries averageNon-religious countries average (profile)	95.75%	2003
89	The BahamasThe Bahamas	95.6%	2003
=90	Cook IslandsCook Islands	95%	2010
=90	NiueNiue	95%	2008
=90	AnguillaAnguilla	95%	1984
93	MacauMacau	94.5%	2003
=94	BelizeBelize	94.1%	2003
=94	Puerto RicoPuerto Rico	94.1%	2002
=96	DominicaDominica	94%	2003
=96	Hong KongHong Kong	94%	2003
=96	ParaguayParaguay	94%	2003
=96	VietnamVietnam	94%	2003
100	MaldivesMaldives	93.8%	2006
=101	FijiFiji	93.7%	2003
=101	Marshall IslandsMarshall Isl.	93.7%	1999
103	VenezuelaVenezuela	93.4%	2003
=104	KuwaitKuwait	93.3%	2005
=104	PortugalPortugal	93.3%	2003
106	SingaporeSingapore	93.2%	2003
107	PeruPeru	92.9%	2007
108	MaltaMalta	92.8%	2005
109	PanamaPanama	92.6%	2003
110	EcuadorEcuador	92.5%	2003
=111	West BankWest Bank	92.4%	2004
=111	Gaza StripGaza Strip	92.4%	2004
113	Sri LankaSri Lanka	92.3%	2003
114	PalauPalau	92%	1980
115	SeychellesSeychelles	91.9%	2003
116	BruneiBrunei	91.8%	2003
117	ChinaChina	91.6%	2007
	Emerging markets averageEmerging markets average (profile)	91.07%	2003
118	ZimbabweZimbabwe	90.7%	2003
=119	ColombiaColombia	90.4%	2005
=119	IndonesiaIndonesia	90.4%	2004
121	Saint LuciaSaint Lucia	90.1%	2001
=122	BurmaBurma	89.9%	2006
=122	JordanJordan	89.9%	2003
124	SurinameSuriname	89.6%	2004
	Heavily indebted countries averageHeavily indebted countries average (profile)	89.51%	2003
125	BahrainBahrain	89.1%	2003
	Former Spanish colonies averageFormer Spanish colonies average (profile)	89.02%	2003
=126	QatarQatar	89%	2004
=126	Federated States of MicronesiaMicronesia	89%	1980
=128	MalaysiaMalaysia	88.9%	2003
=128	ReunionReunion	88.9%	2003
130	BrazilBrazil	88.6%	2004
131	JamaicaJamaica	87.9%	2003
=132	TurkeyTurkey	87.4%	2004
=132	LebanonLebanon	87.4%	2003
134	BoliviaBolivia	87.2%	2003
135	AlbaniaAlbania	86.5%	2003
136	South AfricaSouth Africa	86.4%	2003
137	MexicoMexico	86.1%	2005
138	Antigua and BarbudaAntigua and Barbuda	85.8%	2003
139	Equatorial GuineaEqu. Guinea	85.7%	2003
140	MauritiusMauritius	85.6%	2003
141	KenyaKenya	85.1%	2003
142	Sao Tome and PrincipeSoa Tome+	84.9%	2001
143	LesothoLesotho	84.8%	2003
144	Dominican RepublicDominican Rep.	84.7%	2003
145	NamibiaNamibia	84%	2003
146	Congo, Republic of theCongo, Republic of the	83.8%	2003
147	LibyaLibya	82.6%	2003
148	SwazilandSwaziland	81.6%	2003
	Former British colonies averageFormer British colonies average (profile)	81.47%	2003
149	OmanOman	81.4%	2003
150	BotswanaBotswana	81.2%	2003
151	El SalvadorEl Salvador	81.1%	2007
152	ZambiaZambia	80.6%	2003
153	SyriaSyria	79.6%	2004
154	IranIran	79.4%	2003
155	CameroonCameroon	79%	2003
156	Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia	78.8%	2003
157	TanzaniaTanzania	78.2%	2003
158	United Arab EmiratesUAE	77.9%	2003
159	Cape VerdeCape Verde	76.6%	2003
160	HondurasHonduras	76.2%	2003
	OPEC countries averageOPEC countries average (profile)	75.65%	2003
	Middle Eastern and North Africa averageMiddle Eastern and North Africa average (profile)	74.94%	2003
161	GhanaGhana	74.8%	2003
162	TunisiaTunisia	74.3%	2004
163	VanuatuVanuatu	74%	1999
164	CambodiaCambodia	73.6%	2004
165	LaosLaos	73%	2005
166	EgyptEgypt	71.4%	2005
167	GuatemalaGuatemala	70.6%	2003
168	RwandaRwanda	70.4%	2003
169	AlgeriaAlgeria	70%	2003
170	UgandaUganda	69.9%	2003
171	MadagascarMadagascar	68.9%	2003
172	NigeriaNigeria	68%	2003
	Muslim countries averageMuslim countries average (profile)	67.94%	2003
173	DjiboutiDjibouti	67.9%	2003
174	NicaraguaNicaragua	67.5%	2003
175	AngolaAngola	67.4%	2001
176	Papua New GuineaPapua NG	66%	2003
177	Democratic Republic of the CongoCongo, DR.	65.5%	2003
178	GabonGabon	63.2%	1995
	Sub-Saharan Africa averageSub-Saharan Africa average (profile)	63.06%	2003
179	MalawiMalawi	62.7%	2003
180	SudanSudan	61.1%	2003
181	TogoTogo	60.9%	2003
182	IndiaIndia	59.5%	2003
=183	EritreaEritrea	58.6%	2003
=183	East TimorEast Timor	58.6%	2002
185	LiberiaLiberia	57.5%	2003
	Former French colonies averageFormer French colonies average (profile)	56.56%	2003
186	ComorosComoros	56.5%	2003
	failed states averagefailed states average (profile)	53.52%	2003
187	HaitiHaiti	52.9%	2003
188	MoroccoMorocco	52.3%	2004
189	BurundiBurundi	51.6%	2003
190	Central African RepublicCentral Africa	51%	2003
191	Cote d'IvoireCote d'Ivoire	50.9%	2003
192	YemenYemen	50.2%	2003
193	Wallis and FutunaWallis+	50%	1969
194	PakistanPakistan	49.9%	2005
	South Asia averageSouth Asia average (profile)	48.83%	2003
195	MozambiqueMozambique	47.8%	2003
196	ChadChad	47.5%	2003
197	BhutanBhutan	47%	2003
198	MaliMali	46.4%	2003
199	NepalNepal	45.2%	2003
200	BangladeshBangladesh	43.1%	2003
201	EthiopiaEthiopia	42.7%	2003
202	Guinea-BissauGuinea-Bissau	42.4%	2003
203	MauritaniaMauritania	41.7%	2003
204	IraqIraq	40.4%	2003
205	SenegalSenegal	40.2%	2003
206	The GambiaThe Gambia	40.1%	2003
207	SomaliaSomalia	37.8%	2001
208	Sierra LeoneSierra Leone	35.1%	2004
209	BeninBenin	34.7%	2002
210	GuineaGuinea	29.5%	2003
211	NigerNiger	28.7%	2005
212	AfghanistanAfghanistan	28.1%	2000
213	Burkina FasoBurkina Faso	21.8%	2003

Citation

SHARE TWEET EMBED