* 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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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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