Education > Literacy > Male: 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	AndorraAndorra	100%	2008
=1	LiechtensteinLiechtenstein	100%	2008
=1	GeorgiaGeorgia	100%	2004
=1	GreenlandGreenland	100%	2001
=1	LuxembourgLuxembourg	100%	2000
=1	FinlandFinland	100%	2000
=9	EstoniaEstonia	99.8%	2003
=9	UkraineUkraine	99.8%	2003
=9	LatviaLatvia	99.8%	2003
=9	BelarusBelarus	99.8%	2003
=9	PolandPoland	99.8%	2003
=9	KazakhstanKazakhstan	99.8%	1999
=15	SloveniaSlovenia	99.7%	2008
=15	MoldovaMoldova	99.7%	2005
=15	SlovakiaSlovakia	99.7%	2004
=15	LithuaniaLithuania	99.7%	2003
=15	RussiaRussia	99.7%	2003
=15	BarbadosBarbados	99.7%	2002
=21	TajikistanTajikistan	99.6%	2003
=21	UzbekistanUzbekistan	99.6%	2003
=21	SamoaSamoa	99.6%	2003
=24	HungaryHungary	99.5%	2003
=24	AzerbaijanAzerbaijan	99.5%	2003
=26	ArmeniaArmenia	99.4%	2003
=26	CroatiaCroatia	99.4%	2003
=28	South KoreaSouth Korea	99.3%	2003
=28	KyrgyzstanKyrgyzstan	99.3%	1999
=28	TurkmenistanTurkmenistan	99.3%	1999
31	MongoliaMongolia	99.2%	2003
=32	Trinidad and TobagoTrinidad+	99.1%	2003
=32	BulgariaBulgaria	99.1%	2003
=32	RomaniaRomania	99.1%	2003
=32	GuyanaGuyana	99.1%	2003
=36	North KoreaNorth Korea	99%	2011
=36	MonacoMonaco	99%	2003
=36	CanadaCanada	99%	2003
=36	NetherlandsNetherlands	99%	2003
=36	FranceFrance	99%	2003
=36	IrelandIreland	99%	2003
=36	AustraliaAustralia	99%	2003
=36	DenmarkDenmark	99%	2003
=36	ItalyItaly	99%	2003
=36	United KingdomUnited Kingdom	99%	2003
=36	New ZealandNew Zealand	99%	2003
=36	Czech RepublicCzech Republic	99%	2003
=36	United StatesUnited States	99%	2003
=36	SwedenSweden	99%	2003
=36	BelgiumBelgium	99%	2003
=36	SwitzerlandSwitzerland	99%	2003
=36	IcelandIceland	99%	2003
=36	GermanyGermany	99%	2003
=36	JapanJapan	99%	2002
=36	Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina	99%	2000
=36	GuamGuam	99%	1990
=36	Saint Pierre and MiquelonSt Pierre+	99%	1982
=36	Turks and Caicos IslandsTurks+	99%	1970
	Group of 7 countries (G7) averageGroup of 7 countries (G7) average (profile)	99%	2003
=59	Serbia and MontenegroSerbia+	98.9%	2003
=59	CyprusCyprus	98.9%	2003
61	TongaTonga	98.8%	1999
	High income OECD countries averageHigh income OECD countries average (profile)	98.76%	2003
	European Union averageEuropean Union average (profile)	98.73%	2003
62	SpainSpain	98.7%	2003
63	GreeceGreece	98.6%	2003
	NATO countries averageNATO average (profile)	98.6%	2003
64	IsraelIsrael	98.5%	2004
=65	BermudaBermuda	98%	2005
=65	American SamoaAmerican Samoa	98%	1980
=65	French PolynesiaFr. Polynesia	98%	1977
=65	GrenadaGrenada	98%	1970
=65	Cayman IslandsCayman Islands	98%	1970
70	UruguayUruguay	97.6%	2003
	Non-religious countries averageNon-religious countries average (profile)	97.6%	2003
=71	ThailandThailand	97.5%	2003
=71	ArubaAruba	97.5%	2000
73	MartiniqueMartinique	97.4%	2003
=74	MacauMacau	97.2%	2003
=74	CubaCuba	97.2%	2003
=76	Hong KongHong Kong	97.1%	2003
=76	ArgentinaArgentina	97.1%	2003
=78	San MarinoSan Marino	97%	2011
=78	Northern Mariana IslandsN. Mariana	97%	1980
=78	Saint Kitts and NevisSt Kitts+	97%	1980
=78	MontserratMontserrat	97%	1970
82	New CaledoniaNew Caledonia	96.8%	1996
=83	West BankWest Bank	96.7%	2004
=83	Gaza StripGaza Strip	96.7%	2004
=83	Netherlands AntillesN. Antilles	96.7%	2003
=83	SingaporeSingapore	96.7%	2003
=87	PeruPeru	96.4%	2007
=87	ChileChile	96.4%	2003
=89	PhilippinesPhilippines	96%	2003
=89	Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesSt Vincent+	96%	1970
91	Costa RicaCosta Rica	95.9%	2003
92	VietnamVietnam	95.8%	2003
93	ChinaChina	95.7%	2007
=94	PortugalPortugal	95.5%	2003
=94	FijiFiji	95.5%	2003
96	TurkeyTurkey	95.3%	2004
97	JordanJordan	95.1%	2003
98	AnguillaAnguilla	95%	1984
99	ParaguayParaguay	94.9%	2003
=100	BruneiBrunei	94.8%	2003
=100	Sri LankaSri Lanka	94.8%	2003
102	The BahamasThe Bahamas	94.7%	2003
103	KuwaitKuwait	94.4%	2005
104	ZimbabweZimbabwe	94.2%	2003
105	BelizeBelize	94.1%	2003
=106	IndonesiaIndonesia	94%	2004
=106	DominicaDominica	94%	2003
=106	EcuadorEcuador	94%	2003
109	BurmaBurma	93.9%	2006
110	VenezuelaVenezuela	93.8%	2003
111	Puerto RicoPuerto Rico	93.7%	2002
112	Marshall IslandsMarshall Isl.	93.6%	1999
	Emerging markets averageEmerging markets average (profile)	93.37%	2003
=113	AlbaniaAlbania	93.3%	2003
=113	Equatorial GuineaEqu. Guinea	93.3%	2003
115	PanamaPanama	93.2%	2003
=116	LebanonLebanon	93.1%	2003
=116	BoliviaBolivia	93.1%	2003
=118	MaldivesMaldives	93%	2006
=118	PalauPalau	93%	1980
=120	LibyaLibya	92.4%	2003
=120	MalaysiaMalaysia	92.4%	2003
122	Sao Tome and PrincipeSoa Tome+	92.2%	2001
123	SurinameSuriname	92%	2004
124	BahrainBahrain	91.9%	2003
125	MaltaMalta	91.7%	2005
126	SeychellesSeychelles	91.4%	2003
127	Federated States of MicronesiaMicronesia	91%	1980
	Former Spanish colonies averageFormer Spanish colonies average (profile)	90.64%	2003
128	KenyaKenya	90.6%	2003
129	ColombiaColombia	90.1%	2005
130	Congo, Republic of theCongo, Republic of the	89.6%	2003
131	Saint LuciaSaint Lucia	89.5%	2001
132	QatarQatar	89.1%	2004
133	MauritiusMauritius	88.6%	2003
134	BrazilBrazil	88.4%	2004
=135	South AfricaSouth Africa	87%	2003
=135	ReunionReunion	87%	2003
137	MexicoMexico	86.9%	2005
=138	OmanOman	86.8%	2003
=138	ZambiaZambia	86.8%	2003
140	SyriaSyria	86%	2004
141	TanzaniaTanzania	85.9%	2003
142	Cape VerdeCape Verde	85.8%	2003
143	IranIran	85.6%	2003
=144	CambodiaCambodia	84.7%	2004
=144	CameroonCameroon	84.7%	2003
=144	Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia	84.7%	2003
	Former British colonies averageFormer British colonies average (profile)	84.64%	2003
147	Dominican RepublicDominican Rep.	84.6%	2003
148	NamibiaNamibia	84.4%	2003
149	JamaicaJamaica	84.1%	2003
150	TunisiaTunisia	83.4%	2004
=151	EgyptEgypt	83%	2005
=151	LaosLaos	83%	2005
153	AngolaAngola	82.9%	2001
154	El SalvadorEl Salvador	82.8%	2007
155	GhanaGhana	82.7%	2003
156	SwazilandSwaziland	82.6%	2003
	Middle Eastern and North Africa averageMiddle Eastern and North Africa average (profile)	82.27%	2003
	OPEC countries averageOPEC countries average (profile)	80.95%	2003
157	BotswanaBotswana	80.4%	2003
158	UgandaUganda	79.5%	2003
159	AlgeriaAlgeria	78.8%	2003
=160	GuatemalaGuatemala	78%	2003
=160	DjiboutiDjibouti	78%	2003
162	RwandaRwanda	76.3%	2003
163	Democratic Republic of the CongoCongo, DR.	76.2%	2003
=164	MalawiMalawi	76.1%	2003
=164	United Arab EmiratesUAE	76.1%	2003
=164	HondurasHonduras	76.1%	2003
167	NigeriaNigeria	75.7%	2003
168	MadagascarMadagascar	75.5%	2003
169	TogoTogo	75.4%	2003
	Muslim countries averageMuslim countries average (profile)	75.17%	2003
170	LesothoLesotho	74.5%	2003
171	GabonGabon	73.7%	1995
172	LiberiaLiberia	73.3%	2003
173	Papua New GuineaPapua NG	72.3%	2003
174	SudanSudan	71.8%	2003
	Sub-Saharan Africa averageSub-Saharan Africa average (profile)	70.55%	2003
175	YemenYemen	70.5%	2003
176	IndiaIndia	70.2%	2003
177	EritreaEritrea	69.9%	2003
178	NicaraguaNicaragua	67.2%	2003
	Former French colonies averageFormer French colonies average (profile)	65.9%	2003
179	MoroccoMorocco	65.7%	2004
	failed states averagefailed states average (profile)	64.37%	2003
180	ComorosComoros	63.6%	2003
181	MozambiqueMozambique	63.5%	2003
182	Central African RepublicCentral Africa	63.3%	2003
183	PakistanPakistan	63%	2005
184	NepalNepal	62.7%	2003
	South Asia averageSouth Asia average (profile)	60.98%	2003
185	BhutanBhutan	60%	2003
186	BurundiBurundi	58.5%	2003
187	Guinea-BissauGuinea-Bissau	58.1%	2003
188	Cote d'IvoireCote d'Ivoire	57.9%	2003
189	ChadChad	56%	2003
190	IraqIraq	55.9%	2003
191	HaitiHaiti	54.8%	2003
192	BangladeshBangladesh	53.9%	2003
193	MaliMali	53.5%	2003
194	MauritaniaMauritania	51.8%	2003
195	EthiopiaEthiopia	50.3%	2003
=196	SenegalSenegal	50%	2003
=196	Wallis and FutunaWallis+	50%	1969
198	SomaliaSomalia	49.7%	2001
199	BeninBenin	47.9%	2002
200	The GambiaThe Gambia	47.8%	2003
201	Sierra LeoneSierra Leone	46.9%	2004
202	AfghanistanAfghanistan	43.1%	2000
203	NigerNiger	42.9%	2005
204	GuineaGuinea	42.6%	2003
205	Burkina FasoBurkina Faso	29.4%	2003

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