Education > Literacy > Female: 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.

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Totals

#	COUNTRY	AMOUNT	DATE
=1	Holy See (Vatican City)Vatican City	100%	2011
=1	NorwayNorway	100%	2008
=1	LiechtensteinLiechtenstein	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
=11	SamoaSamoa	99.7%	2003
=11	PolandPoland	99.7%	2003
=11	BarbadosBarbados	99.7%	2002
=14	SloveniaSlovenia	99.6%	2008
=14	SlovakiaSlovakia	99.6%	2004
=14	LithuaniaLithuania	99.6%	2003
=14	UkraineUkraine	99.6%	2003
=18	RussiaRussia	99.5%	2003
=18	BelarusBelarus	99.5%	2003
=20	HungaryHungary	99.3%	2003
=20	KazakhstanKazakhstan	99.3%	1999
22	TajikistanTajikistan	99.1%	2003
=23	North KoreaNorth Korea	99%	2011
=23	BermudaBermuda	99%	2005
=23	CanadaCanada	99%	2003
=23	NetherlandsNetherlands	99%	2003
=23	MonacoMonaco	99%	2003
=23	FranceFrance	99%	2003
=23	IrelandIreland	99%	2003
=23	AustraliaAustralia	99%	2003
=23	DenmarkDenmark	99%	2003
=23	UzbekistanUzbekistan	99%	2003
=23	United KingdomUnited Kingdom	99%	2003
=23	New ZealandNew Zealand	99%	2003
=23	Czech RepublicCzech Republic	99%	2003
=23	MongoliaMongolia	99%	2003
=23	United StatesUnited States	99%	2003
=23	SwedenSweden	99%	2003
=23	BelgiumBelgium	99%	2003
=23	SwitzerlandSwitzerland	99%	2003
=23	IcelandIceland	99%	2003
=23	GermanyGermany	99%	2003
=23	JapanJapan	99%	2002
=23	TongaTonga	99%	1999
=23	GuamGuam	99%	1990
=23	Saint Pierre and MiquelonSt Pierre+	99%	1982
	Group of 7 countries (G7) averageGroup of 7 countries (G7) average (profile)	98.88%	2003
47	MoldovaMoldova	98.6%	2005
48	GuyanaGuyana	98.5%	2003
49	UruguayUruguay	98.4%	2003
=50	ItalyItaly	98.3%	2003
=50	TurkmenistanTurkmenistan	98.3%	1999
=52	AzerbaijanAzerbaijan	98.2%	2003
=52	BulgariaBulgaria	98.2%	2003
	High income OECD countries averageHigh income OECD countries average (profile)	98.16%	2003
	European Union averageEuropean Union average (profile)	98.15%	2003
=54	MartiniqueMartinique	98.1%	2003
=54	KyrgyzstanKyrgyzstan	98.1%	1999
=56	Trinidad and TobagoTrinidad+	98%	2003
=56	ArmeniaArmenia	98%	2003
=56	Saint Kitts and NevisSt Kitts+	98%	1980
=56	French PolynesiaFr. Polynesia	98%	1977
=56	Cayman IslandsCayman Islands	98%	1970
=56	Turks and Caicos IslandsTurks+	98%	1970
=56	GrenadaGrenada	98%	1970
63	CroatiaCroatia	97.8%	2003
64	RomaniaRomania	97.7%	2003
65	SpainSpain	97.2%	2003
=66	ArgentinaArgentina	97.1%	2003
=66	ArubaAruba	97.1%	2000
=68	South KoreaSouth Korea	97%	2003
=68	American SamoaAmerican Samoa	97%	1980
=68	MontserratMontserrat	97%	1970
71	CubaCuba	96.9%	2003
	NATO countries averageNATO average (profile)	96.83%	2003
72	Netherlands AntillesN. Antilles	96.8%	2003
=73	GreeceGreece	96.5%	2003
=73	The BahamasThe Bahamas	96.5%	2003
75	CyprusCyprus	96.3%	2003
=76	Costa RicaCosta Rica	96.1%	2003
=76	ChileChile	96.1%	2003
=78	Northern Mariana IslandsN. Mariana	96%	1980
=78	Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesSt Vincent+	96%	1970
80	IsraelIsrael	95.9%	2004
81	PhilippinesPhilippines	95.8%	2003
82	New CaledoniaNew Caledonia	95.5%	1996
=83	San MarinoSan Marino	95%	2011
=83	AnguillaAnguilla	95%	1984
85	MaldivesMaldives	94.7%	2006
86	ThailandThailand	94.6%	2003
87	LesothoLesotho	94.5%	2003
=88	Puerto RicoPuerto Rico	94.4%	2002
=88	Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina	94.4%	2000
=90	Serbia and MontenegroSerbia+	94.1%	2003
=90	BelizeBelize	94.1%	2003
92	DominicaDominica	94%	2003
93	MaltaMalta	93.9%	2005
	Non-religious countries averageNon-religious countries average (profile)	93.86%	2003
94	Marshall IslandsMarshall Isl.	93.7%	1999
95	VenezuelaVenezuela	93.1%	2003
96	ParaguayParaguay	93%	2003
=97	VietnamVietnam	92.3%	2003
=97	SeychellesSeychelles	92.3%	2003
99	MacauMacau	92%	2003
=100	PanamaPanama	91.9%	2003
=100	FijiFiji	91.9%	2003
102	JamaicaJamaica	91.6%	2003
103	PortugalPortugal	91.3%	2003
=104	KuwaitKuwait	91%	2005
=104	EcuadorEcuador	91%	2003
106	ReunionReunion	90.8%	2003
107	ColombiaColombia	90.7%	2005
108	Saint LuciaSaint Lucia	90.6%	2001
109	Hong KongHong Kong	90.5%	2003
=110	Sri LankaSri Lanka	90%	2003
=110	PalauPalau	90%	1980
112	SingaporeSingapore	89.7%	2003
113	PeruPeru	89.4%	2007
114	BrazilBrazil	88.8%	2004
	Emerging markets averageEmerging markets average (profile)	88.72%	2003
115	QatarQatar	88.6%	2004
116	BruneiBrunei	88.5%	2003
=117	West BankWest Bank	88%	2004
=117	Gaza StripGaza Strip	88%	2004
=117	Federated States of MicronesiaMicronesia	88%	1980
120	ChinaChina	87.6%	2007
	Former Spanish colonies averageFormer Spanish colonies average (profile)	87.46%	2003
=121	SurinameSuriname	87.2%	2004
=121	ZimbabweZimbabwe	87.2%	2003
123	IndonesiaIndonesia	86.8%	2004
124	BurmaBurma	86.4%	2006
125	South AfricaSouth Africa	85.7%	2003
126	MalaysiaMalaysia	85.4%	2003
127	MexicoMexico	85.3%	2005
128	BahrainBahrain	85%	2003
129	Dominican RepublicDominican Rep.	84.8%	2003
130	JordanJordan	84.7%	2003
131	NamibiaNamibia	83.7%	2003
132	MauritiusMauritius	82.7%	2003
133	LebanonLebanon	82.2%	2003
134	BotswanaBotswana	81.8%	2003
135	United Arab EmiratesUAE	81.7%	2003
136	BoliviaBolivia	81.6%	2003
137	SwazilandSwaziland	80.8%	2003
138	KenyaKenya	79.7%	2003
=139	El SalvadorEl Salvador	79.6%	2007
=139	TurkeyTurkey	79.6%	2004
141	AlbaniaAlbania	79.5%	2003
142	TaiwanTaiwan	79%	1980
=143	Congo, Republic of theCongo, Republic of the	78.4%	2003
=143	Equatorial GuineaEqu. Guinea	78.4%	2003
145	Sao Tome and PrincipeSoa Tome+	77.9%	2001
	Former British colonies averageFormer British colonies average (profile)	76.65%	2003
146	HondurasHonduras	76.3%	2003
147	ZambiaZambia	74.8%	2003
148	SyriaSyria	73.6%	2004
149	OmanOman	73.5%	2003
150	CameroonCameroon	73.4%	2003
151	IranIran	73%	2003
152	LibyaLibya	72%	2003
153	Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia	70.8%	2003
154	TanzaniaTanzania	70.7%	2003
	OPEC countries averageOPEC countries average (profile)	70.33%	2003
155	Cape VerdeCape Verde	69.2%	2003
156	NicaraguaNicaragua	67.8%	2003
	Middle Eastern and North Africa averageMiddle Eastern and North Africa average (profile)	67.41%	2003
157	GhanaGhana	67.1%	2003
158	TunisiaTunisia	65.3%	2004
159	RwandaRwanda	64.7%	2003
160	CambodiaCambodia	64.1%	2004
161	GuatemalaGuatemala	63.3%	2003
162	LaosLaos	63%	2005
163	MadagascarMadagascar	62.5%	2003
164	AlgeriaAlgeria	61%	2003
	Muslim countries averageMuslim countries average (profile)	60.7%	2003
165	NigeriaNigeria	60.6%	2003
166	UgandaUganda	60.4%	2003
167	EgyptEgypt	59.4%	2005
168	Papua New GuineaPapua NG	59.3%	2003
169	DjiboutiDjibouti	58.4%	2003
	Sub-Saharan Africa averageSub-Saharan Africa average (profile)	55.87%	2003
170	Democratic Republic of the CongoCongo, DR.	55.1%	2003
171	AngolaAngola	54.2%	2001
172	GabonGabon	53.3%	1995
173	HaitiHaiti	51.2%	2003
174	SudanSudan	50.5%	2003
175	Wallis and FutunaWallis+	50%	1969
176	MalawiMalawi	49.8%	2003
177	ComorosComoros	49.3%	2003
178	IndiaIndia	48.3%	2003
179	EritreaEritrea	47.6%	2003
	Former French colonies averageFormer French colonies average (profile)	47.6%	2003
180	TogoTogo	46.9%	2003
181	BurundiBurundi	45.2%	2003
182	Cote d'IvoireCote d'Ivoire	43.6%	2003
	failed states averagefailed states average (profile)	42.92%	2003
183	LiberiaLiberia	41.6%	2003
184	Central African RepublicCentral Africa	39.9%	2003
=185	MoroccoMorocco	39.6%	2004
=185	MaliMali	39.6%	2003
187	ChadChad	39.3%	2003
	South Asia averageSouth Asia average (profile)	36.17%	2003
188	PakistanPakistan	36%	2005
189	EthiopiaEthiopia	35.1%	2003
190	BhutanBhutan	34%	2003
191	The GambiaThe Gambia	32.8%	2003
192	MozambiqueMozambique	32.7%	2003
193	MauritaniaMauritania	31.9%	2003
194	BangladeshBangladesh	31.8%	2003
195	SenegalSenegal	30.7%	2003
196	YemenYemen	30%	2003
197	NepalNepal	27.6%	2003
198	Guinea-BissauGuinea-Bissau	27.4%	2003
199	SomaliaSomalia	25.8%	2001
=200	Sierra LeoneSierra Leone	24.4%	2004
=200	IraqIraq	24.4%	2003
202	BeninBenin	23.3%	2002
203	GuineaGuinea	18.1%	2003
204	Burkina FasoBurkina Faso	15.2%	2003
205	NigerNiger	15.1%	2005
206	AfghanistanAfghanistan	12.6%	2000

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