Literacy rate - Country rankings

* indicates monthly or quarterly data series

Literacy rate, 2021:

The average for 2021 based on 48 countries was 86.53 percent. The highest value was in Russia: 100 percent and the lowest value was in Burkina Faso: 36.97 percent. The indicator is available from 1970 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Measure: percent; Source: UNESCO
Select indicator
* indicates monthly or quarterly data series


Countries Literacy rate, 2021 Global rank Available data
Russia 100 1 1989 - 2021
Ukraine 100 2 2001 - 2021
Uzbekistan 100 3 2000 - 2022
Latvia 99.89 4 1989 - 2021
Estonia 99.87 5 1989 - 2021
Lithuania 99.83 6 1989 - 2021
Poland 99.8 7 1978 - 2021
Moldova 99.6 8 1989 - 2021
Croatia 99.45 9 1991 - 2021
Tonga 99.4 10 1976 - 2021
Cyprus 99.36 11 1992 - 2021
Hungary 99.1 12 1980 - 2021
Samoa 99.1 13 1991 - 2021
Romania 99 14 1992 - 2021
Montenegro 98.98 15 1981 - 2021
Bulgaria 98.42 16 2001 - 2021
Costa Rica 98.04 17 1984 - 2021
Singapore 98 18 1980 - 2021
UA Emirates 98 19 1975 - 2022
Maldives 97.86 20 1977 - 2021
Brunei 97.59 21 1981 - 2021
Macao 97.11 22 1981 - 2021
Portugal 96.78 23 1981 - 2021
Suriname 95 24 2004 - 2021
Malta 94.94 25 1985 - 2021
Thailand 94.1 26 1980 - 2022
Ecuador 94 27 1982 - 2022
Syria 94 28 1981 - 2021
Puerto Rico 92.4 29 1980 - 2021
Namibia 92.25 30 1991 - 2021
Mauritius 92.15 31 1990 - 2021
Sri Lanka 92 32 1981 - 2022
South Africa 90 33 1980 - 2021
Vanuatu 89.1 34 1979 - 2021
Gabon 88.86 35 1993 - 2022
R. of Congo 80.61 36 1984 - 2021
Bangladesh 76 37 1981 - 2021
Madagascar 74.69 38 2000 - 2022
Cambodia 71.93 39 1998 - 2022
Nepal 71.15 40 1981 - 2021
Mauritania 66.96 41 2000 - 2021
Nigeria 63.16 42 1991 - 2021
Gambia 51.64 43 2000 - 2022
Ivory Coast 50 44 1988 - 2021
Guinea 45.33 45 1996 - 2021
Benin 43.83 46 1979 - 2022
Afghanistan 37 47 1979 - 2021
Burkina Faso 36.97 48 1975 - 2022



Definition: Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.

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All articles

1. Russia
2. Ukraine
3. Uzbekistan
4. Latvia
5. Estonia
6. Lithuania
7. Poland
8. Moldova
9. Croatia
10. Tonga
11. Cyprus
12. Hungary
13. Samoa
14. Romania
15. Montenegro
16. Bulgaria
17. Costa Rica
18. Singapore
19. UA Emirates
20. Maldives
21. Brunei
22. Macao
23. Portugal
24. Suriname
25. Malta
26. Thailand
27. Ecuador
28. Syria
29. Puerto Rico
30. Namibia
31. Mauritius
32. Sri Lanka
33. South Africa
34. Vanuatu
35. Gabon
36. R. of Congo
37. Bangladesh
38. Madagascar
39. Cambodia
40. Nepal
41. Mauritania
42. Nigeria
43. Gambia
44. Ivory Coast
45. Guinea
46. Benin
47. Afghanistan
48. Burkina Faso
100.00
100.00
100.00
99.89
99.87
99.83
99.80
99.60
99.45
99.40
99.36
99.10
99.10
99.00
98.98
98.42
98.04
98.00
98.00
97.86
97.59
97.11
96.78
95.00
94.94
94.10
94.00
94.00
92.40
92.25
92.15
92.00
90.00
89.10
88.86
80.61
76.00
74.69
71.93
71.15
66.96
63.16
51.64
50.00
45.33
43.83
37.00
36.97
0
25
50
75
100


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