Adult Literacy Rate by Country 2026: Data, Charts & Rankings
Adult literacy rates are reported as the share of people ages 15 and above who can read and write a short simple statement about everyday life. Values use the latest available country observation from the World Bank WDI series sourced from UNESCO Institute for Statistics; country source years vary.
Literacy Statistics
Snapshot values use the same latest-available country table used for the ranking.
Highest Reported Adult Literacy Rates
Top 20 latest available country observations in the WDI/UIS adult literacy series.
Several high-ranking observations are rounded near 100%; the full table should be used to check source-year differences.
Chart analysis
- Korea, Dem. People's Rep., Tuvalu, and Uzbekistan are shown at 100.0%.
- Most entries in the top group are above 99.4%.
- Source years in the top group range from 1991 to 2024.
Full Country Adult Literacy Ranking
Ranking uses the latest non-empty value available for each country or economy in the World Bank WDI adult literacy indicator.
| Rank | Country | Code | Rate | Year | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Korea, Dem. People's Rep. | PRK | 100.0% | 2008 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 2 | Tuvalu | TUV | 100.0% | 2022 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 3 | Uzbekistan | UZB | 100.0% | 2022 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 4 | Russian Federation | RUS | 99.9% | 2021 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 5 | San Marino | SMR | 99.9% | 2022 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 6 | Latvia | LVA | 99.9% | 2011 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 7 | Turkmenistan | TKM | 99.9% | 2022 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 8 | Estonia | EST | 99.9% | 2011 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 9 | Belarus | BLR | 99.9% | 2019 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 10 | Palau | PLW | 99.8% | 2020 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 11 | Armenia | ARM | 99.8% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 12 | Lithuania | LTU | 99.8% | 2011 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 13 | Azerbaijan | AZE | 99.8% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 14 | Kazakhstan | KAZ | 99.7% | 2009 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 15 | Tajikistan | TJK | 99.7% | 2009 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 16 | Spain | ESP | 99.7% | 2021 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 17 | Georgia | GEO | 99.7% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 18 | Slovenia | SVN | 99.5% | 1991 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 19 | Tonga | TON | 99.5% | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 20 | Ukraine | UKR | 99.4% | 2001 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 21 | Guam | GUM | 99.4% | 1990 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 22 | Moldova | MDA | 99.4% | 2014 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 23 | Italy | ITA | 99.3% | 2019 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 24 | Serbia | SRB | 99.3% | 2022 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 25 | Barbados | BRB | 99.3% | 1970 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 26 | Kyrgyz Republic | KGZ | 99.2% | 2009 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 27 | Romania | ROU | 99.2% | 2021 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 28 | Argentina | ARG | 99.1% | 2020 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 29 | Antigua and Barbuda | ATG | 98.9% | 2001 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 30 | Uruguay | URY | 98.9% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 31 | Cayman Islands | CYM | 98.9% | 2017 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 32 | Hungary | HUN | 98.9% | 1980 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 33 | United Arab Emirates | ARE | 98.8% | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 34 | Poland | POL | 98.7% | 1978 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 35 | Cyprus | CYP | 98.7% | 2011 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 36 | Mongolia | MNG | 98.6% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 37 | Kiribati | KIR | 98.6% | 2020 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 38 | Montenegro | MNE | 98.5% | 2018 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 39 | Philippines | PHL | 98.5% | 2020 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 40 | Bulgaria | BGR | 98.3% | 2011 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 41 | Maldives | MDV | 98.2% | 2019 | South Asia |
| 42 | Croatia | HRV | 98.2% | 2001 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 43 | Samoa | WSM | 98.0% | 2019 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 44 | Korea, Rep. | KOR | 98.0% | 2008 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 45 | West Bank and Gaza | PSE | 97.9% | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 46 | Saudi Arabia | SAU | 97.9% | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 47 | Bahrain | BHR | 97.8% | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 48 | Grenada | GRD | 97.8% | 1970 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 49 | Qatar | QAT | 97.8% | 2014 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 50 | Albania | ALB | 97.7% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
Table analysis
- The table is intentionally limited in the visible excerpt to the first 50 reported rows for publish-length control; the source coverage count remains based on 170 countries/economies.
- The latest country source year is 2024; the oldest latest-country observation is 1970.
- 98 countries/economies have a latest source year from 2020 onward.
- The unweighted mean across latest country observations is 85.2%; the median is 93.9%.
Trend Since 2000
World Bank aggregate series provide a consistent long-run view for the world and major regions.
World Adult Literacy Rate, 2000 to 2024
Selected anchor years from the WDI world aggregate series.
The world aggregate rose from 81.1% in 2000 to 87.7% in 2024, a change of +6.6 percentage points.
Trend analysis
- The 10-year change from 2014 to 2024 is +2.2 percentage points.
- The 20-year change from 2004 to 2024 is +5.2 percentage points.
- The series remains an aggregate rate; it does not measure every country in the same survey year.
| Area | 2000 | 2010 | 2020 | Latest | Year | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| World | 81.1% | 84.4% | 87.0% | 87.7% | 2024 | +6.6 pp |
| East Asia & Pacific | 90.3% | 94.1% | 96.1% | 96.6% | 2024 | +6.3 pp |
| Europe & Central Asia | 96.6% | 97.9% | 98.6% | 98.8% | 2023 | +2.1 pp |
| Latin America & Caribbean | 88.9% | 91.8% | 94.3% | 94.9% | 2024 | +6.0 pp |
| Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 60.8% | 70.0% | 73.4% | 75.6% | 2024 | +14.8 pp |
| South Asia | 59.5% | 67.9% | 75.2% | 78.2% | 2024 | +18.7 pp |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 56.6% | 59.3% | 67.9% | 68.7% | 2024 | +12.1 pp |
Trend analysis
- South Asia has the largest reported aggregate change in the table, rising by +18.7 percentage points since 2000.
- Europe & Central Asia has the highest latest aggregate value at 98.8% in 2023.
- Sub-Saharan Africa has the lowest latest aggregate value among listed regions at 68.7% in 2024.
Income Group Summary
Income-group values are page-level unweighted summaries calculated from latest available country values.
Latest Aggregate Literacy Rate by Major Region
Official WDI aggregate observations for major regions.
The chart uses official aggregate series; source years are 2024 except Europe & Central Asia, where the latest aggregate is 2023.
Chart analysis
- Europe & Central Asia and East Asia & Pacific are both above 96%.
- South Asia is reported at 78.2% in 2024.
- The gap between Europe & Central Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa is 30.1 percentage points.
| Income group | Countries | Mean | Median | Lowest | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High income | 45 | 97.3% | 97.9% | 85.6% | 99.9% |
| Low income | 25 | 57.9% | 59.4% | 26.8% | 100.0% |
| Lower middle income | 48 | 79.7% | 79.2% | 39.6% | 100.0% |
| Not classified | 2 | 78.8% | 78.8% | 60.5% | 97.2% |
| Upper middle income | 50 | 93.6% | 95.8% | 60.2% | 100.0% |
Source-year analysis
- The page-level income-group median is highest for High income countries/economies at 97.9%.
- Low income countries/economies have the widest range in the page-level summary, from 26.8% to 100.0%.
Reading the Reported Series
The ranking is indicator-specific and uses the latest available WDI/UIS observation for each country or economy.
Source-year spread
Country observations range from 1970 to 2024. Older latest values remain visible because the source has no newer value for that country in this indicator.
Rate definition
The adult literacy rate covers people ages 15 and above. It is not the same as youth literacy, functional literacy, school completion, or reading proficiency.
Ranking scope
Ranks compare reported latest values only. They do not adjust for test method, census design, language coverage, or assessment difficulty.
Trend use
The long-run trend section uses official aggregate series to avoid mixing country observations from different census years into a single global trend.
Source and Methodology
Country ranking uses the latest non-null WDI value for each country/economy. Values are rounded to one decimal place in visible tables and charts. Income-group summary tables are page-level unweighted calculations from latest country values; the trend table uses official WDI aggregate series. Missing countries are not assigned values.
Adult literacy data are collected through national censuses and surveys, so source years and measurement practices vary. The ranking compares reported latest values for one indicator only and does not establish causes, quality of schooling, reading proficiency, or adult skill depth.