Literacy rate - Country rankings
* indicates monthly or quarterly data series
Literacy rate, 2020 - Country rankings:
The average for 2020 based on 28 countries was 89.34 percent.The highest value was in Kazakhstan: 99.8 percent and the lowest value was in Mali: 30.76 percent. The indicator is available from 1970 to 2021. 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, 2020 | Global rank | Available data |
---|---|---|---|
Kazakhstan | 99.8 | 1 | 1989 - 2020 |
Armenia | 99.79 | 2 | 1989 - 2020 |
Russia | 99.7 | 3 | 1989 - 2020 |
Mongolia | 99.18 | 4 | 2000 - 2020 |
Spain | 98.59 | 5 | 1981 - 2020 |
Aruba | 97.99 | 6 | 2000 - 2020 |
Saudi Arabia | 97.59 | 7 | 1992 - 2020 |
Palestine | 97.51 | 8 | 1997 - 2020 |
China | 97.15 | 9 | 1982 - 2020 |
Singapore | 97.13 | 10 | 1980 - 2020 |
Kuwait | 96.46 | 11 | 1975 - 2020 |
Seychelles | 96.2 | 12 | 1987 - 2020 |
Indonesia | 96 | 13 | 1980 - 2020 |
Colombia | 95.64 | 14 | 1993 - 2020 |
Mexico | 95.25 | 15 | 1980 - 2020 |
Paraguay | 94.54 | 16 | 1982 - 2020 |
Peru | 94.5 | 17 | 1981 - 2020 |
Bolivia | 93.85 | 18 | 1976 - 2020 |
Ecuador | 93.63 | 19 | 1982 - 2021 |
Sri Lanka | 92.38 | 20 | 1981 - 2020 |
El Salvador | 89.98 | 21 | 1992 - 2020 |
Swaziland | 89.28 | 22 | 1976 - 2020 |
Zambia | 87.5 | 23 | 1990 - 2020 |
Ghana | 80.38 | 24 | 2000 - 2020 |
Cameroon | 78.23 | 25 | 1976 - 2020 |
Bangladesh | 74.91 | 26 | 1981 - 2020 |
C.A. Republic | 37.49 | 27 | 1975 - 2020 |
Mali | 30.76 | 28 | 1976 - 2020 |
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.
99.80
99.79
99.70
99.18
98.59
97.99
97.59
97.51
97.15
97.13
96.46
96.20
96.00
95.64
95.25
94.54
94.50
93.85
93.63
92.38
89.98
89.28
87.50
80.38
78.23
74.91
37.49
30.76
0
25
49.9
74.9
99.8
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