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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.

CONTENTS

#
COUNTRY
AMOUNT
DATE
GRAPH
HISTORY
=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

Education > Literacy > Total population: Countries Compared Map

NationMaster
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Interesting observations about Education > Literacy > Total population

  • All of the top 4 countries by literacy > total population are Christian.
  • All of the top 2 countries by literacy > total population are Cold countries'.
  • All of the top 3 countries by literacy > total population are European.
  • All of the top 2 countries by literacy > total population are Tourist destination.
  • All of the top 2 countries by literacy > total population are Landlocked.
  • All of the top 2 countries by literacy > total population are Catholic.
  • Finland has ranked in the top 2 for literacy > total population since 1980.
  • Bermuda has ranked in the top 3 for literacy > total population since 1970.
  • Barbados has ranked in the top 3 for literacy > total population since 1995.
  • Japan has ranked in the top 4 for literacy > total population since 1995.
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