Global education indicator
Literacy Rate by Country 2026: Global Statistics, Charts & Rankings
Rankings use latest reported adult literacy in World Bank WDI / UNESCO UIS. The 2026 label is the page edition; source years vary by country.
World adult literacy
87.7%
2024 aggregate
World youth literacy
93.1%
Ages 15-24, 2024
Recent rows
98
Adult data from 2020-2024
Long-run change
+6.6 pp
World adult literacy, 2000-2024
Lowest Reported Adult Literacy Rates
Fifteen lowest latest WDI adult literacy values.
The chart summarizes the lower end; the full table carries all reported countries/economies.
Data analysis
- The lowest reported adult literacy values range from 26.8% to 53.5%.
- Source years vary, so the table year is part of the ranking context.
Full Country Adult Literacy Ranking
Rank is based on adult literacy rate, total population age 15 and above, latest reported source year.
| Ranked country / economy | Adult literacy | Source year |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Korea, Dem. People’s Rep. | 100.0% | 2008 |
| 2. Tuvalu | 100.0% | 2022 |
| 3. Uzbekistan | 100.0% | 2022 |
| 4. Russian Federation | 99.9% | 2021 |
| 5. San Marino | 99.9% | 2022 |
| 6. Latvia | 99.9% | 2011 |
| 7. Turkmenistan | 99.9% | 2022 |
| 8. Estonia | 99.9% | 2011 |
| 9. Belarus | 99.9% | 2019 |
| 10. Palau | 99.8% | 2020 |
| 11. Armenia | 99.8% | 2023 |
| 12. Lithuania | 99.8% | 2011 |
| 13. Azerbaijan | 99.8% | 2023 |
| 14. Kazakhstan | 99.7% | 2009 |
| 15. Tajikistan | 99.7% | 2009 |
| 16. Spain | 99.7% | 2021 |
| 17. Georgia | 99.7% | 2024 |
| 18. Slovenia | 99.5% | 1991 |
| 19. Tonga | 99.5% | 2023 |
| 20. Ukraine | 99.4% | 2001 |
| 21. Guam | 99.4% | 1990 |
| 22. Moldova | 99.4% | 2014 |
| 23. Italy | 99.3% | 2019 |
| 24. Serbia | 99.3% | 2022 |
| 25. Barbados | 99.3% | 1970 |
| 26. Kyrgyz Republic | 99.2% | 2009 |
| 27. Romania | 99.2% | 2021 |
| 28. Argentina | 99.1% | 2020 |
| 29. Antigua and Barbuda | 98.9% | 2001 |
| 30. Uruguay | 98.9% | 2024 |
| 31. Cayman Islands | 98.9% | 2017 |
| 32. Hungary | 98.9% | 1980 |
| 33. United Arab Emirates | 98.8% | 2024 |
| 34. Poland | 98.7% | 1978 |
| 35. Cyprus | 98.7% | 2011 |
| 36. Mongolia | 98.6% | 2024 |
| 37. Kiribati | 98.6% | 2020 |
| 38. Montenegro | 98.5% | 2018 |
| 39. Philippines | 98.5% | 2020 |
| 40. Bulgaria | 98.3% | 2011 |
| 41. Maldives | 98.2% | 2019 |
| 42. Croatia | 98.2% | 2001 |
| 43. Samoa | 98.0% | 2019 |
| 44. Korea, Rep. | 98.0% | 2008 |
| 45. West Bank and Gaza | 97.9% | 2024 |
| 46. Saudi Arabia | 97.9% | 2024 |
| 47. Bahrain | 97.8% | 2024 |
| 48. Grenada | 97.8% | 1970 |
| 49. Qatar | 97.8% | 2014 |
| 50. Albania | 97.7% | 2023 |
| 51. Cuba | 97.7% | 2019 |
| 52. Singapore | 97.7% | 2021 |
| 53. Costa Rica | 97.4% | 2011 |
| 54. American Samoa | 97.3% | 1980 |
| 55. Oman | 97.3% | 2022 |
| 56. Turkiye | 97.3% | 2021 |
| 57. Venezuela, RB | 97.2% | 2017 |
| 58. Bosnia and Herzegovina | 97.0% | 2013 |
| 59. Trinidad and Tobago | 96.9% | 1990 |
| 60. Aruba | 96.8% | 2010 |
| 61. China | 96.7% | 2020 |
| 62. Bolivia | 96.7% | 2024 |
| 63. Nauru | 96.6% | 2023 |
| 64. Macao SAR, China | 96.5% | 2016 |
| 65. Kuwait | 96.5% | 2020 |
| 66. Chile | 96.4% | 2017 |
| 67. Panama | 96.2% | 2024 |
| 68. New Caledonia | 96.1% | 1996 |
| 69. North Macedonia | 96.1% | 2002 |
| 70. Viet Nam | 96.1% | 2022 |
| 71. Brunei Darussalam | 96.1% | 2011 |
| 72. Indonesia | 96.0% | 2020 |
| 73. Malaysia | 95.8% | 2022 |
| 74. Marshall Islands | 95.8% | 2021 |
| 75. St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 95.6% | 1970 |
| 76. Mexico | 95.6% | 2024 |
| 77. Colombia | 95.3% | 2024 |
| 78. Paraguay | 94.9% | 2024 |
| 79. Brazil | 94.7% | 2024 |
| 80. Portugal | 94.5% | 2011 |
| 81. Jordan | 94.4% | 2024 |
| 82. Syrian Arab Republic | 94.4% | 2021 |
| 83. Mauritius | 94.3% | 2023 |
| 84. Dominican Republic | 94.0% | 2024 |
| 85. Seychelles | 93.9% | 2010 |
| 86. Greece | 93.9% | 2009 |
| 87. Peru | 93.7% | 2024 |
| 88. Myanmar | 93.5% | 2020 |
| 89. Ecuador | 93.5% | 2024 |
| 90. Malta | 93.3% | 2011 |
| 91. Zimbabwe | 93.2% | 2019 |
| 92. Suriname | 92.9% | 2012 |
| 93. Sri Lanka | 92.7% | 2024 |
| 94. Puerto Rico (US) | 92.4% | 2017 |
| 95. Lebanon | 92.0% | 2019 |
| 96. Israel | 91.8% | 1983 |
| 97. South Africa | 91.2% | 2024 |
| 98. Thailand | 91.1% | 2022 |
| 99. Eswatini | 90.8% | 2022 |
| 100. Lesotho | 90.4% | 2024 |
| 101. El Salvador | 89.8% | 2024 |
| 102. Iran, Islamic Rep. | 88.9% | 2023 |
| 103. Gabon | 88.9% | 2021 |
| 104. Cabo Verde | 88.5% | 2024 |
| 105. Equatorial Guinea | 88.3% | 2000 |
| 106. Honduras | 88.2% | 2024 |
| 107. Vanuatu | 88.0% | 2023 |
| 108. Belize | 87.9% | 2022 |
| 109. Namibia | 87.6% | 2023 |
| 110. Sao Tome and Principe | 87.4% | 2019 |
| 111. Nicaragua | 87.3% | 2014 |
| 112. Papua New Guinea | 87.0% | 2022 |
| 113. Tunisia | 86.2% | 2023 |
| 114. Guyana | 85.6% | 2020 |
| 115. Iraq | 84.1% | 2021 |
| 116. Kenya | 82.2% | 2000 |
| 117. Guatemala | 82.1% | 2024 |
| 118. Botswana | 81.2% | 2003 |
| 119. Jamaica | 79.9% | 1999 |
| 120. Egypt, Arab Rep. | 79.5% | 2022 |
| 121. Bangladesh | 79.0% | 2022 |
| 122. Rwanda | 78.8% | 2022 |
| 123. Tanzania | 78.2% | 2022 |
| 124. India | 78.2% | 2024 |
| 125. Uganda | 77.0% | 2024 |
| 126. Solomon Islands | 76.6% | 1999 |
| 127. Ghana | 76.5% | 2021 |
| 128. Congo, Rep. | 76.1% | 2005 |
| 129. Lao PDR | 75.6% | 2023 |
| 130. Comoros | 75.6% | 2021 |
| 131. Algeria | 75.1% | 2008 |
| 132. Madagascar | 74.7% | 2021 |
| 133. Togo | 72.6% | 2022 |
| 134. Cameroon | 72.6% | 2018 |
| 135. Cambodia | 71.9% | 2021 |
| 136. Zambia | 71.8% | 2024 |
| 137. Burundi | 71.3% | 2020 |
| 138. Nigeria | 70.4% | 2024 |
| 139. Malawi | 70.2% | 2020 |
| 140. Timor-Leste | 69.4% | 2022 |
| 141. Nepal | 68.7% | 2019 |
| 142. Congo, Dem. Rep. | 68.5% | 2023 |
| 143. Angola | 68.2% | 2023 |
| 144. Haiti | 68.0% | 2017 |
| 145. Bhutan | 64.9% | 2022 |
| 146. Eritrea | 64.7% | 2008 |
| 147. Morocco | 64.3% | 2014 |
| 148. Guinea-Bissau | 63.9% | 2022 |
| 149. Mozambique | 61.7% | 2022 |
| 150. Ethiopia | 60.5% | 2022 |
| 151. Libya | 60.2% | 1984 |
| 152. Mauritania | 59.5% | 2020 |
| 153. Liberia | 59.4% | 2010 |
| 154. Pakistan | 58.9% | 2021 |
| 155. Somalia, Fed. Rep. | 54.1% | 2022 |
| 156. Sudan | 53.5% | 2008 |
| 157. Gambia, The | 51.6% | 2021 |
| 158. Benin | 51.4% | 2022 |
| 159. Senegal | 50.4% | 2023 |
| 160. Cote d’Ivoire | 50.0% | 2021 |
| 161. Sierra Leone | 43.6% | 2019 |
| 162. Central African Republic | 42.4% | 2019 |
| 163. Burkina Faso | 41.6% | 2023 |
| 164. Guinea | 39.6% | 2018 |
| 165. Afghanistan | 37.3% | 2021 |
| 166. Yemen, Rep. | 37.1% | 1994 |
| 167. Mali | 35.6% | 2024 |
| 168. Niger | 35.6% | 2022 |
| 169. Chad | 30.6% | 2019 |
| 170. South Sudan | 26.8% | 2008 |
Data analysis
- 98 rows use 2020-2024 adult data, 21 use 2015-2019, 18 use 2010-2014 and 33 use older adult data.
- The ranking is an adult literacy ranking, not a combined education score.
World Literacy Trend Since 2000
World aggregate values use WDI / UNESCO UIS adult, youth, female and male literacy indicators.
Adult, Youth and Sex-Disaggregated World Trend
Selected anchor years, 2000-2024.
Adult literacy rose from 81.1% in 2000 to 87.7% in 2024; youth literacy remained higher.
| Year | Adult | Youth | Female | Male | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 81.1% | 86.7% | 75.9% | 86.4% | 10.5 pp |
| 2005 | 82.6% | 88.5% | 77.5% | 87.7% | 10.2 pp |
| 2010 | 84.4% | 89.7% | 80.2% | 88.6% | 8.4 pp |
| 2015 | 86.0% | 91.4% | 82.1% | 89.8% | 7.7 pp |
| 2020 | 87.0% | 92.6% | 83.6% | 90.4% | 6.8 pp |
| 2024 | 87.7% | 93.1% | 84.6% | 90.9% | 6.3 pp |
Data analysis
- The world adult literacy aggregate rose by 6.6 percentage points between 2000 and 2024.
- The world male-female adult literacy gap narrowed from 10.5 to 6.3 percentage points.
Age and Sex Breakdown for Lower-Tail Rows
Youth literacy and adult female/male literacy for the fifteen lowest adult literacy rows.
| Country | Adult | Youth | Female | Male | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Sudan | 26.8% | 36.7% | 19.2% | 34.8% | A 2008; Y 2008; F 2008; M 2008 |
| Chad | 30.6% | 45.1% | 18.6% | 44.5% | A 2019; Y 2019; F 2019; M 2019 |
| Niger | 35.6% | 53.9% | 25.7% | 47.9% | A 2022; Y 2022; F 2022; M 2022 |
| Mali | 35.6% | 50.3% | 27.7% | 45.2% | A 2024; Y 2024; F 2024; M 2024 |
| Yemen, Rep. | 37.1% | 60.2% | 54.1% | 56.7% | A 1994; Y 1994; F 2023; M 1994 |
| Afghanistan | 37.3% | 62.7% | 26.6% | 52.1% | A 2021; Y 2022; F 2022; M 2021 |
| Guinea | 39.6% | 53.9% | 27.7% | 54.4% | A 2018; Y 2018; F 2018; M 2018 |
| Burkina Faso | 41.6% | 62.8% | 35.7% | 48.7% | A 2023; Y 2022; F 2023; M 2023 |
| Central African Republic | 42.4% | 50.6% | 27.1% | 59.8% | A 2019; Y 2019; F 2019; M 2019 |
| Sierra Leone | 43.6% | 73.0% | 33.9% | 54.6% | A 2019; Y 2019; F 2019; M 2019 |
| Cote d’Ivoire | 50.0% | 66.8% | 40.3% | 68.0% | A 2021; Y 2021; F 2021; M 2022 |
| Senegal | 50.4% | 67.4% | 41.5% | 61.5% | A 2023; Y 2023; F 2023; M 2023 |
| Benin | 51.4% | 71.2% | 41.5% | 62.6% | A 2022; Y 2022; F 2022; M 2022 |
| Gambia, The | 51.6% | 67.5% | 40.5% | 65.3% | A 2021; Y 2021; F 2021; M 2021 |
| Sudan | 53.5% | 65.8% | 46.7% | 59.8% | A 2008; Y 2008; F 2008; M 2008 |
Data analysis
- Youth literacy is above adult literacy for each row in this lower-tail comparison.
- Mixed female and male source years are not used for gap claims.
Regional and Income Group Summary
Simple means of latest reported country/economy adult literacy values.
| Group type | Group | Rows | Mean | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region | Europe & Central Asia | 33 | 98.8% | 93.9-100.0% |
| Region | East Asia & Pacific | 29 | 93.3% | 69.4-100.0% |
| Region | Latin America & Caribbean | 32 | 93.1% | 68.0-99.3% |
| Region | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 22 | 82.8% | 37.1-98.8% |
| Region | South Asia | 6 | 80.3% | 64.9-98.2% |
| Region | Sub-Saharan Africa | 48 | 67.4% | 26.8-94.3% |
| Income group | High income | 45 | 97.3% | 85.6-99.9% |
| Income group | Upper middle income | 50 | 93.6% | 60.2-100.0% |
| Income group | Lower middle income | 48 | 79.7% | 39.6-100.0% |
| Income group | Not classified | 2 | 78.8% | 60.5-97.2% |
| Income group | Low income | 25 | 57.9% | 26.8-100.0% |
Data analysis
- Europe & Central Asia has the highest simple mean in the reported table at 98.8%.
- Low income rows average 57.9% in the latest reported country/economy values.
Source and Methodology
Data source World Bank World Development Indicators using UNESCO Institute for Statistics literacy data.
Main indicator SE.ADT.LITR.ZS: adult literacy, ages 15+.
Supporting indicators SE.ADT.1524.LT.ZS, SE.ADT.LITR.FE.ZS and SE.ADT.LITR.MA.ZS.
Coverage 170 countries and economies with adult literacy data.
Official links Adult literacy indicator and Youth literacy indicator.
Country rankings select the latest non-empty value for each country/economy. Values are rounded to one decimal place. Regional and income group summaries are page-level simple means, not population-weighted official aggregates.
Methodological Safety Note
The ranking compares latest reported adult literacy values from different source years. It is not a 2026 measurement, a quality ranking or a causal assessment.