* indicates monthly or quarterly data series

Youth literacy rate, ages 15-24, 2021:

The average for 2021 based on 46 countries was 91.91 percent. The highest value was in Georgia: 100 percent and the lowest value was in Afghanistan: 55.93 percent. The indicator is available from 1970 to 2024. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

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


Countries Youth literacy rate, ages 15-24, 2021 Global rank Available data
Georgia 100 1 2002 - 2024
Uzbekistan 100 2 2000 - 2022
Turkey 99.96 3 1975 - 2022
Romania 99.94 4 1992 - 2021
Russia 99.92 5 1989 - 2021
Mauritius 99.91 6 1990 - 2023
Singapore 99.89 7 1980 - 2021
Mongolia 99.86 8 2000 - 2024
Spain 99.73 9 1981 - 2021
UA Emirates 99.66 10 1975 - 2024
Bolivia 99.5 11 1976 - 2024
Palestine 99.39 12 1997 - 2024
Brazil 99.3 13 1980 - 2024
Panama 99.3 14 1980 - 2024
Mexico 99.25 15 1980 - 2024
Uruguay 99.2 16 1975 - 2024
Colombia 99.1 17 1993 - 2024
Peru 99.1 18 1981 - 2024
Ecuador 99.01 19 1982 - 2024
Tunisia 98.94 20 1984 - 2023
Sri Lanka 98.93 21 1981 - 2024
Domin. Rep. 98.8 22 1981 - 2024
Paraguay 98.6 23 1982 - 2024
Iran 98.59 24 1976 - 2023
Syria 98.39 25 1981 - 2021
El Salvador 98.1 26 1992 - 2024
South Africa 96.7 27 1980 - 2024
Egypt 96.61 28 1976 - 2022
India 95.89 29 1981 - 2024
Bangladesh 94.83 30 1981 - 2022
Gabon 93.98 31 1993 - 2021
Iraq 92.39 32 2000 - 2021
Cambodia 91.83 33 1998 - 2023
Ghana 91.51 34 2000 - 2021
Comoros 90.84 35 1980 - 2021
Uganda 89.63 36 1991 - 2024
Zambia 84.15 37 1990 - 2024
Madagascar 82.38 38 2000 - 2021
Ethiopia 79.67 39 1994 - 2022
Nigeria 73.67 40 1991 - 2024
Pakistan 73.13 41 1981 - 2021
Gambia 67.49 42 2000 - 2021
Ivory Coast 66.84 43 1988 - 2021
Benin 65.32 44 1979 - 2022
Burkina Faso 62.67 45 1975 - 2022
Afghanistan 55.93 46 1979 - 2022


New - World map: Youth literacy rate, ages 15-24




Definition: Youth literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15-24 who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.

Selected articles from our guide:

Are trade deficits bad for the economy?

Sources of economic growth

Currency values and investment returns

How to write an economics research paper

All articles

This site uses cookies.
Learn more here


OK