Rankings · Education

Adult literacy

Share of people aged 15 and over who can read and write a short simple statement about their everyday life. Many high-income countries stopped surveying this, so the figure is often missing rather than low.

Nations ranked
141
Highest
100.0%
Lowest
26.8%
Observed
2000–2024

The ten highest

Bars are drawn to the highest value in the table. Highest, not best: this page orders figures, it does not grade nations.

  1. 1🇰🇵North Korea

    100.0%  ·  observed 2008

  2. 1🇺🇿Uzbekistan

    100.0%  ·  observed 2022

  3. 3🇷🇺Russia

    99.9%  ·  observed 2021

  4. 4🇸🇲San Marino

    99.9%  ·  observed 2022

  5. 5🇱🇻Latvia

    99.9%  ·  observed 2011

  6. 5🇹🇲Turkmenistan

    99.9%  ·  observed 2022

  7. 7🇪🇪Estonia

    99.9%  ·  observed 2011

  8. 8🇧🇾Belarus

    99.9%  ·  observed 2019

  9. 9🇦🇲Armenia

    99.8%  ·  observed 2023

  10. 10🇱🇹Lithuania

    99.8%  ·  observed 2011

Every nation with data

Figures are percent. This table mixes vintages: each publisher carries a nation’s latest available year, so the observations here run from 2000 to 2024 — every row shows its own.

  1. 1🇰🇵North Korea100.0% · 2008
  2. 1🇺🇿Uzbekistan100.0% · 2022
  3. 3🇷🇺Russia99.9% · 2021
  4. 4🇸🇲San Marino99.9% · 2022
  5. 5🇱🇻Latvia99.9% · 2011
  6. 5🇹🇲Turkmenistan99.9% · 2022
  7. 7🇪🇪Estonia99.9% · 2011
  8. 8🇧🇾Belarus99.9% · 2019
  9. 9🇦🇲Armenia99.8% · 2023
  10. 10🇱🇹Lithuania99.8% · 2011
  11. 11🇦🇿Azerbaijan99.8% · 2023
  12. 12🇰🇿Kazakhstan99.7% · 2009
  13. 13🇹🇯Tajikistan99.7% · 2009
  14. 14🇪🇸Spain99.7% · 2021
  15. 15🇬🇪Georgia99.7% · 2024
  16. 16🇺🇦Ukraine99.4% · 2001
  17. 17🇲🇩Moldova99.4% · 2014
  18. 18🇮🇹Italy99.3% · 2019
  19. 19🇷🇸Serbia99.3% · 2022
  20. 20🇰🇬Kyrgyzstan99.2% · 2009
  21. 21🇷🇴Romania99.2% · 2021
  22. 22🇦🇷Argentina99.1% · 2020
  23. 23🇺🇾Uruguay98.9% · 2024
  24. 24🇦🇪United Arab Emirates98.8% · 2024
  25. 25🇨🇾Cyprus98.7% · 2011
  26. 26🇲🇳Mongolia98.6% · 2024
  27. 27🇲🇪Montenegro98.5% · 2018
  28. 28🇵🇭Philippines98.5% · 2020
  29. 29🇧🇬Bulgaria98.3% · 2011
  30. 30🇭🇷Croatia98.2% · 2001
  31. 31🇰🇷South Korea98.0% · 2008
  32. 32🇵🇸Palestine97.9% · 2024
  33. 33🇸🇦Saudi Arabia97.9% · 2024
  34. 34🇶🇦Qatar97.8% · 2014
  35. 35🇦🇱Albania97.7% · 2023
  36. 36🇨🇺Cuba97.7% · 2019
  37. 37🇨🇷Costa Rica97.4% · 2011
  38. 38🇴🇲Oman97.3% · 2022
  39. 39🇹🇷Türkiye97.3% · 2021
  40. 40🇻🇪Venezuela97.2% · 2017
  41. 41🇧🇦Bosnia and Herzegovina97.0% · 2013
  42. 42🇨🇳China96.7% · 2020
  43. 43🇧🇴Bolivia96.7% · 2024
  44. 44🇰🇼Kuwait96.5% · 2020
  45. 45🇨🇱Chile96.4% · 2017
  46. 46🇵🇦Panama96.2% · 2024
  47. 47🇲🇰North Macedonia96.1% · 2002
  48. 47🇻🇳Vietnam96.1% · 2022
  49. 49🇧🇳Brunei96.1% · 2011
  50. 50🇮🇩Indonesia96.0% · 2020
  51. 51🇲🇾Malaysia95.8% · 2022
  52. 52🇲🇽Mexico95.6% · 2024
  53. 53🇨🇴Colombia95.3% · 2024
  54. 54🇵🇾Paraguay94.9% · 2024
  55. 55🇧🇷Brazil94.7% · 2024
  56. 56🇵🇹Portugal94.5% · 2011
  57. 57🇯🇴Jordan94.4% · 2024
  58. 58🇸🇾Syria94.4% · 2021
  59. 59🇲🇺Mauritius94.3% · 2023
  60. 60🇩🇴Dominican Republic94.0% · 2024
  61. 61🇸🇨Seychelles93.9% · 2010
  62. 62🇬🇷Greece93.9% · 2009
  63. 63🇵🇪Peru93.7% · 2024
  64. 64🇲🇲Myanmar93.5% · 2020
  65. 65🇪🇨Ecuador93.5% · 2024
  66. 66🇲🇹Malta93.3% · 2011
  67. 67🇿🇼Zimbabwe93.2% · 2019
  68. 68🇸🇷Suriname92.9% · 2012
  69. 69🇱🇰Sri Lanka92.7% · 2024
  70. 70🇵🇷Puerto Rico92.4% · 2017
  71. 71🇱🇧Lebanon92.0% · 2019
  72. 72🇿🇦South Africa91.2% · 2024
  73. 73🇹🇭Thailand91.1% · 2022
  74. 74🇸🇿Eswatini90.8% · 2022
  75. 75🇱🇸Lesotho90.4% · 2024
  76. 76🇸🇻El Salvador89.8% · 2024
  77. 77🇮🇷Iran88.9% · 2023
  78. 78🇬🇦Gabon88.9% · 2021
  79. 79🇨🇻Cape Verde88.5% · 2024
  80. 80🇬🇶Equatorial Guinea88.3% · 2000
  81. 81🇭🇳Honduras88.3% · 2024
  82. 82🇻🇺Vanuatu88.0% · 2023
  83. 83🇧🇿Belize87.9% · 2022
  84. 84🇳🇦Namibia87.6% · 2023
  85. 85🇸🇹São Tomé and Príncipe87.4% · 2019
  86. 86🇳🇮Nicaragua87.3% · 2014
  87. 87🇵🇬Papua New Guinea87.0% · 2022
  88. 88🇹🇳Tunisia86.3% · 2023
  89. 89🇬🇾Guyana85.6% · 2020
  90. 90🇮🇶Iraq84.1% · 2021
  91. 91🇰🇪Kenya82.2% · 2000
  92. 92🇬🇹Guatemala82.1% · 2024
  93. 93🇧🇼Botswana81.2% · 2003
  94. 94🇪🇬Egypt79.5% · 2022
  95. 95🇧🇩Bangladesh79.0% · 2022
  96. 96🇷🇼Rwanda78.8% · 2022
  97. 97🇹🇿Tanzania78.2% · 2022
  98. 98🇮🇳India78.2% · 2024
  99. 99🇺🇬Uganda77.0% · 2024
  100. 100🇬🇭Ghana76.5% · 2021
  101. 101🇨🇬Congo76.1% · 2005
  102. 102🇱🇦Laos75.6% · 2023
  103. 103🇰🇲Comoros75.6% · 2021
  104. 104🇩🇿Algeria75.1% · 2008
  105. 105🇲🇬Madagascar74.7% · 2021
  106. 106🇹🇬Togo72.6% · 2022
  107. 107🇨🇲Cameroon72.6% · 2018
  108. 108🇰🇭Cambodia71.9% · 2021
  109. 109🇿🇲Zambia71.8% · 2024
  110. 110🇧🇮Burundi71.3% · 2020
  111. 111🇳🇬Nigeria70.4% · 2024
  112. 112🇲🇼Malawi70.2% · 2020
  113. 113🇹🇱Timor-Leste69.4% · 2022
  114. 114🇳🇵Nepal68.7% · 2019
  115. 115🇨🇩DR Congo68.5% · 2023
  116. 116🇦🇴Angola68.2% · 2023
  117. 117🇭🇹Haiti68.0% · 2017
  118. 118🇧🇹Bhutan64.9% · 2022
  119. 119🇪🇷Eritrea64.7% · 2008
  120. 120🇲🇦Morocco64.3% · 2014
  121. 121🇬🇼Guinea-Bissau63.9% · 2022
  122. 122🇲🇿Mozambique61.7% · 2022
  123. 123🇪🇹Ethiopia60.5% · 2022
  124. 124🇲🇷Mauritania59.5% · 2020
  125. 125🇱🇷Liberia59.4% · 2010
  126. 126🇵🇰Pakistan58.9% · 2021
  127. 127🇸🇴Somalia54.1% · 2022
  128. 128🇸🇩Sudan53.5% · 2008
  129. 129🇬🇲Gambia51.6% · 2021
  130. 130🇧🇯Benin51.4% · 2022
  131. 131🇸🇳Senegal50.4% · 2023
  132. 132🇨🇮Ivory Coast50.0% · 2021
  133. 133🇸🇱Sierra Leone43.6% · 2019
  134. 134🇨🇫Central African Republic42.4% · 2019
  135. 135🇧🇫Burkina Faso41.6% · 2023
  136. 136🇬🇳Guinea39.6% · 2018
  137. 137🇦🇫Afghanistan37.3% · 2021
  138. 138🇲🇱Mali35.6% · 2024
  139. 139🇳🇪Niger35.6% · 2022
  140. 140🇹🇩Chad30.6% · 2019
  141. 141🇸🇸South Sudan26.8% · 2008

No data

45 nations publish no figure for this indicator in the sources below. Absence is a fact about the world’s statistical apparatus, not a zero — these nations are not ranked.