Male Literacy Rate by Country 2026: Statistics, Charts & Rankings
Adult male literacy rate measures the share of males aged 15 and above who can read and write a short simple statement with understanding. The 2026 label marks the page edition; country values use the latest available World Bank WDI observations sourced from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Literacy Statistics
Visible values are text-based and remain readable without chart rendering.
Highest Reported Male Literacy Rates
Top 15 country/economy observations ranked by latest available adult male literacy value.
The chart is a visual summary; the full table carries the wider country/economy list.
Chart analysis
- Five listed economies round to 100.0%.
- Source years differ by country, so the Year column remains part of the ranking.
Male Literacy Rate Ranking by Country
Ranking uses the latest non-null World Bank WDI country/economy observation for each row.
| Rank | Country | Male literacy | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Korea, Dem. People's Rep. | 100.0% | 2008 |
| 2 | Palau | 100.0% | 2020 |
| 3 | Tajikistan | 100.0% | 2009 |
| 4 | Tuvalu | 100.0% | 2022 |
| 5 | Uzbekistan | 100.0% | 2022 |
| 6 | Russian Federation | 99.9% | 2021 |
| 7 | San Marino | 99.9% | 2022 |
| 8 | Turkmenistan | 99.9% | 2022 |
| 9 | Latvia | 99.9% | 2011 |
| 10 | Belarus | 99.9% | 2019 |
| 11 | Estonia | 99.9% | 2011 |
| 12 | Azerbaijan | 99.8% | 2023 |
| 13 | Spain | 99.8% | 2021 |
| 14 | Kazakhstan | 99.8% | 2009 |
| 15 | Lithuania | 99.8% | 2011 |
| 16 | Armenia | 99.8% | 2023 |
| 17 | Georgia | 99.8% | 2024 |
| 18 | Ukraine | 99.7% | 2001 |
| 19 | Serbia | 99.6% | 2022 |
| 20 | Moldova | 99.6% | 2014 |
| 21 | Slovenia | 99.6% | 1991 |
| 22 | Kyrgyz Republic | 99.5% | 2009 |
| 23 | Italy | 99.5% | 2019 |
| 24 | West Bank and Gaza | 99.4% | 2024 |
| 25 | Guam | 99.4% | 1990 |
| 26 | Croatia | 99.3% | 2001 |
| 27 | Hungary | 99.3% | 1980 |
| 28 | Barbados | 99.3% | 1970 |
| 29 | Cyprus | 99.3% | 2011 |
| 30 | Poland | 99.3% | 1978 |
| 31 | Tonga | 99.3% | 2023 |
| 32 | Turkiye | 99.3% | 2021 |
| 33 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 99.2% | 2013 |
| 34 | Montenegro | 99.2% | 2018 |
| 35 | Argentina | 99.1% | 2020 |
| 36 | Cuba | 99.0% | 2019 |
| 37 | United Arab Emirates | 99.0% | 2024 |
| 38 | Romania | 99.0% | 2021 |
| 39 | Singapore | 98.9% | 2021 |
| 40 | Bolivia | 98.8% | 2024 |
| 41 | Bulgaria | 98.8% | 2011 |
| 42 | Cayman Islands | 98.7% | 2017 |
| 43 | Bahrain | 98.7% | 2024 |
| 44 | Uruguay | 98.6% | 2024 |
| 45 | Oman | 98.6% | 2022 |
| 46 | Kiribati | 98.6% | 2020 |
| 47 | Saudi Arabia | 98.6% | 2024 |
| 48 | Philippines | 98.4% | 2020 |
| 49 | Antigua and Barbuda | 98.4% | 2001 |
| 50 | China | 98.4% | 2020 |
| 51 | Mongolia | 98.4% | 2024 |
| 52 | Korea, Rep. | 98.3% | 2008 |
| 53 | Samoa | 98.3% | 2019 |
| 54 | North Macedonia | 98.2% | 2002 |
| 55 | Macao SAR, China | 98.2% | 2016 |
| 56 | Maldives | 98.2% | 2019 |
| 57 | Albania | 98.2% | 2023 |
| 58 | Grenada | 98.1% | 1970 |
| 59 | Trinidad and Tobago | 98.0% | 1990 |
| 60 | Qatar | 97.8% | 2014 |
| 61 | American Samoa | 97.5% | 1980 |
| 62 | Indonesia | 97.4% | 2020 |
| 63 | Brunei Darussalam | 97.4% | 2011 |
| 64 | Costa Rica | 97.3% | 2011 |
| 65 | Viet Nam | 97.2% | 2022 |
| 66 | Venezuela, RB | 97.2% | 2017 |
| 67 | Syrian Arab Republic | 97.2% | 2021 |
| 68 | Panama | 97.1% | 2024 |
| 69 | Kuwait | 97.1% | 2020 |
| 70 | Peru | 97.0% | 2024 |
| 71 | Aruba | 96.9% | 2010 |
| 72 | Malaysia | 96.8% | 2022 |
| 73 | New Caledonia | 96.8% | 1996 |
| 74 | Jordan | 96.6% | 2024 |
| 75 | Chile | 96.5% | 2017 |
| 76 | Mexico | 96.3% | 2024 |
| 77 | Portugal | 96.3% | 2011 |
| 78 | Mauritius | 96.1% | 2023 |
| 79 | Greece | 96.1% | 2009 |
| 80 | St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 95.8% | 1970 |
| 81 | Marshall Islands | 95.7% | 2021 |
| 82 | Paraguay | 95.4% | 2024 |
| 83 | Colombia | 95.0% | 2024 |
| 84 | Israel | 95.0% | 1983 |
| 85 | Suriname | 94.9% | 2012 |
| 86 | Equatorial Guinea | 94.8% | 2000 |
| 87 | Lebanon | 94.8% | 2019 |
| 88 | Myanmar | 94.6% | 2020 |
| 89 | Ecuador | 94.5% | 2024 |
| 90 | Brazil | 94.4% | 2024 |
| 91 | Dominican Republic | 93.6% | 2024 |
| 92 | Sri Lanka | 93.5% | 2024 |
| 93 | Seychelles | 93.5% | 2010 |
| 94 | Nauru | 93.4% | 2023 |
| 95 | Zimbabwe | 93.1% | 2019 |
| 96 | Cabo Verde | 92.9% | 2024 |
| 97 | Iran, Islamic Rep. | 92.8% | 2023 |
| 98 | Tunisia | 92.7% | 2023 |
| 99 | Sao Tome and Principe | 92.5% | 2019 |
| 100 | Puerto Rico (US) | 92.4% | 2017 |
| 101 | Malta | 91.8% | 2011 |
| 102 | El Salvador | 91.6% | 2024 |
| 103 | South Africa | 91.5% | 2024 |
| 104 | Eswatini | 91.1% | 2022 |
| 105 | Gabon | 90.8% | 2021 |
| 106 | Thailand | 90.7% | 2022 |
| 107 | Iraq | 90.3% | 2021 |
| 108 | Cambodia | 90.3% | 2023 |
| 109 | Papua New Guinea | 90.2% | 2022 |
| 110 | Namibia | 87.9% | 2023 |
| 111 | Belize | 87.9% | 2022 |
| 112 | Vanuatu | 87.7% | 2023 |
| 113 | Honduras | 87.6% | 2024 |
| 114 | Kenya | 87.5% | 2000 |
| 115 | Guatemala | 86.9% | 2024 |
| 116 | Nicaragua | 86.7% | 2014 |
| 117 | Congo, Rep. | 86.1% | 2005 |
| 118 | India | 85.7% | 2024 |
| 119 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | 85.4% | 2023 |
| 120 | Egypt, Arab Rep. | 85.3% | 2022 |
| 121 | Lao PDR | 85.1% | 2023 |
| 122 | Tanzania | 84.2% | 2022 |
| 123 | Guyana | 84.2% | 2020 |
| 124 | Angola | 84.0% | 2023 |
| 125 | Solomon Islands | 83.7% | 1999 |
| 126 | Lesotho | 83.2% | 2024 |
| 127 | Togo | 82.8% | 2022 |
| 128 | Algeria | 82.6% | 2008 |
| 129 | Bangladesh | 81.4% | 2022 |
| 130 | Ghana | 81.3% | 2021 |
| 131 | Uganda | 81.3% | 2024 |
| 132 | Rwanda | 81.0% | 2022 |
| 133 | Zambia | 80.6% | 2024 |
| 134 | Botswana | 80.4% | 2003 |
| 135 | Nepal | 79.8% | 2019 |
| 136 | Cameroon | 79.7% | 2018 |
| 137 | Comoros | 79.6% | 2021 |
| 138 | Malawi | 78.6% | 2020 |
| 139 | Nigeria | 78.4% | 2024 |
| 140 | Madagascar | 77.9% | 2021 |
| 141 | Burundi | 77.9% | 2020 |
| 142 | Guinea-Bissau | 77.3% | 2022 |
| 143 | Libya | 77.0% | 1984 |
| 144 | Morocco | 75.4% | 2014 |
| 145 | Eritrea | 75.1% | 2008 |
| 146 | Jamaica | 74.1% | 1999 |
| 147 | Mozambique | 74.0% | 2022 |
| 148 | Bhutan | 73.4% | 2022 |
| 149 | Timor-Leste | 73.1% | 2022 |
| 150 | Haiti | 72.9% | 2017 |
| 151 | Liberia | 72.4% | 2010 |
| 152 | Ethiopia | 71.0% | 2022 |
| 153 | Mauritania | 70.1% | 2020 |
| 154 | Pakistan | 69.1% | 2021 |
| 155 | Cote d'Ivoire | 68.0% | 2022 |
| 156 | Gambia, The | 65.3% | 2021 |
| 157 | Somalia, Fed. Rep. | 64.5% | 2022 |
| 158 | Benin | 62.6% | 2022 |
| 159 | Senegal | 61.5% | 2023 |
| 160 | Central African Republic | 59.8% | 2019 |
| 161 | Sudan | 59.8% | 2008 |
| 162 | Yemen, Rep. | 56.7% | 1994 |
| 163 | Sierra Leone | 54.6% | 2019 |
| 164 | Guinea | 54.4% | 2018 |
| 165 | Afghanistan | 52.1% | 2021 |
| 166 | Burkina Faso | 48.7% | 2023 |
| 167 | Niger | 47.9% | 2022 |
| 168 | Mali | 45.2% | 2024 |
| 169 | Chad | 44.5% | 2019 |
| 170 | South Sudan | 34.8% | 2008 |
Table analysis
- The table includes 170 countries/economies with a reported adult male literacy rate.
- Latest country source years run from 1970 to 2024.
- The median latest reported country/economy value is 94.9%.
- South Sudan has the lowest latest reported value at 34.8%.
Literacy Trend Since 2000
Aggregate series use World Bank WDI values rather than country-table averages.
World and Income Group Trend
Adult male literacy rate for selected WDI aggregate series.
The world aggregate rose from 86.4% in 2000 to 90.9% in 2024.
| Aggregate | 2000 | 2010 | 2020 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| World | 86.4% | 88.6% | 90.4% | 90.9% | +4.5 pp |
| Low income | 61.7% | 65.4% | 69.9% | 70.9% | +9.2 pp |
| Lower middle income | 73.2% | 77.9% | 82.5% | 84.2% | +11.0 pp |
| Upper middle income | 93.5% | 96.0% | 97.2% | 97.5% | +4.0 pp |
| South Asia | 71.4% | 77.1% | 82.3% | 84.6% | +13.2 pp |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 66.4% | 68.1% | 74.6% | 74.9% | +8.5 pp |
Trend analysis
- South Asia moved from 71.4% in 2000 to 84.6% in 2024.
- Low income aggregate values moved from 61.7% to 70.9%.
Regional and Gender Gap Tables
Regional values are official WDI aggregates; gap values use same-year male and female observations.
Latest Regional Aggregate Values
World Bank WDI region aggregates for adult male literacy rate.
Regional aggregates are not simple averages of listed country rows.
| Region or aggregate | Rate | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Europe & Central Asia | 99.1% | 2023 |
| East Asia & Pacific | 97.9% | 2024 |
| Latin America & Caribbean | 95.2% | 2024 |
| World | 90.9% | 2024 |
| South Asia | 84.6% | 2024 |
| Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 83.2% | 2024 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 74.9% | 2024 |
| Rank | Country | Year | Male | Female | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yemen, Rep. | 1994 | 56.7% | 17.1% | 39.7 pp |
| 2 | Libya | 1984 | 77.0% | 42.3% | 34.7 pp |
| 3 | Central African Republic | 2019 | 59.8% | 27.1% | 32.7 pp |
| 4 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | 2023 | 85.4% | 53.8% | 31.6 pp |
| 5 | Angola | 2023 | 84.0% | 54.4% | 29.6 pp |
| 6 | Afghanistan | 2021 | 52.1% | 22.6% | 29.5 pp |
| 7 | Guinea | 2018 | 54.4% | 27.7% | 26.7 pp |
| 8 | Chad | 2019 | 44.5% | 18.6% | 25.9 pp |
| 9 | Guinea-Bissau | 2022 | 77.3% | 52.2% | 25.2 pp |
| 10 | Gambia, The | 2021 | 65.3% | 40.5% | 24.8 pp |
Literacy analysis
- Europe & Central Asia has the highest listed WDI regional aggregate at 99.1%.
- Yemen, Rep. has the largest same-year male-female gap in the selected gap table.
Data Reading Notes
Short notes focus on coverage, source-year variation, and metric boundaries.
Source years vary
Country values mix census and survey reporting years. Recent observations and older observations are kept separate through the Year column.
Ranking scope
Ranks compare reported adult male literacy rates only. They do not measure school quality, learning outcomes, or future literacy.
Aggregate method
WDI aggregate series are official source aggregates. They are not page-level averages of the country table.
Source and Methodology
Official source links: World Bank indicator page, World Bank indicator metadata API, and UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
The ranking is limited to the adult male literacy indicator and the latest available WDI observation for each country/economy. Older source years are retained for transparency and must not be read as 2026 measured outcomes; no causal claim is made from these rankings.