Country Comparison :: Literacy
This entry includes a definition of literacy and Census Bureau percentages for the total population, males, and females. There are no universal definitions and standards of literacy. Unless otherwise specified, all rates are based on the most common definition - the ability to read and write at a specified age. Detailing the standards that individual countries use to assess the ability to read and write is beyond the scope of the Factbook. Information on literacy, while not a perfect measure of educational results, is probably the most easily available and valid for international comparisons. Low levels of literacy, and education in general, can impede the economic development of a country in the current rapidly changing, technology-driven world.
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Rank
country (%) Date of Information
1 Andorra
100.00
NA
2 Finland
100.00
2000 est.
3 Greenland
100.00
2001 est.
4 Holy See (Vatican City)
100.00
NA
5 Luxembourg
100.00
2000 est.
6 Norway
100.00
NA
7 Liechtenstein
100.00
NA
8 Cuba
99.80
2002 census
9 Estonia
99.80
2010 census
10 Azerbaijan
99.80
2010 census
11 Latvia
99.80
2010 est.
12 Slovenia
99.70
2010 est.
13 Samoa
99.70
2003 est.
14 Lithuania
99.70
2010 est.
15 Barbados
99.70
2002 est.
16 Georgia
99.70
2010 est.
17 Ukraine
99.70
2010 est.
18 Tajikistan
99.70
2010 est.
19 Russia
99.60
2010 est.
20 Slovakia
99.60
2004
21 Armenia
99.60
2010 est.
22 Belarus
99.60
2009 census
23 Kazakhstan
99.50
1999 est.
24 Poland
99.50
2010 est.
25 Uzbekistan
99.30
2003 est.
26 Netherlands
99.00
2003 est.
27 New Zealand
99.00
2003 est.
28 Monaco
99.00
2003 est.
29 Korea, North
99.00
1991 est.
30 Japan
99.00
2002
31 Iceland
99.00
2003 est.
32 Hungary
99.00
2010 est.
33 Guam
99.00
1990 est.
34 Germany
99.00
2003 est.
35 France
99.00
2003 est.
36 Czech Republic
99.00
2003 est.
37 Ireland
99.00
2003 est.
38 Denmark
99.00
2003 est.
39 Canada
99.00
2003 est.
40 Belgium
99.00
2003 est.
41 Australia
99.00
2003 est.
42 United States
99.00
2003 est.
43 United Kingdom
99.00
2003 est.
44 Switzerland
99.00
2003 est.
45 Sweden
99.00
2003 est.
46 Saint Pierre and Miquelon
99.00
1982 est.
47 Tonga
98.90
1999 est.
48 Croatia
98.80
2010 est.
49 Turkmenistan
98.80
1999 est.
50 Kyrgyzstan
98.70
1999 census
51 Albania
98.70
2001 census
52 Trinidad and Tobago
98.60
2003 est.
53 Moldova
98.50
2010 est.
54 Montenegro
98.40
2010 est.
55 Bulgaria
98.40
2011
56 Italy
98.40
2001 census
57 French Polynesia
98.00
1977 est.
58 Cayman Islands
98.00
1970 est.
59 Bermuda
98.00
2005 est.
60 Austria
98.00
NA
61 Uruguay
98.00
2003 est.
62 Turks and Caicos Islands
98.00
1970 est.
63 Serbia
97.90
2010 est.
64 Korea, South
97.90
2002
65 Bosnia and Herzegovina
97.90
2010 est.
66 Saint Kitts and Nevis
97.80
2003 est.
67 British Virgin Islands
97.80
1991 est.
68 Spain
97.70
2010 est.
69 Romania
97.70
2010 est.
70 Cyprus
97.60
2001 census
71 Mongolia
97.40
2010 est.
72 Macedonia
97.30
2010 est.
73 Aruba
97.30
2000 census
74 Argentina
97.20
2001 census
75 Israel
97.10
2004 est.
76 Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha
97.00
1987 est.
77 American Samoa
97.00
1980 est.
78 Northern Mariana Islands
97.00
1980 est.
79 Montserrat
97.00
1970 est.
80 Qatar
96.30
2010 est.
81 New Caledonia
96.20
1996 census
82 Taiwan
96.10
2003
83 San Marino
96.00
NA
84 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
96.00
1970 est.
85 Greece
96.00
2001 census
86 Grenada
96.00
2003 est.
87 Chile
95.70
2002 census
88 Bahamas, The
95.60
2003 est.
89 Portugal
95.20
2010 est.
90 Cook Islands
95.00
NA
91 Anguilla
95.00
1984 est.
92 Niue
95.00
NA
93 Costa Rica
94.90
2000 census
94 Bahrain
94.60
2010 census
95 Puerto Rico
94.10
2002 est.
96 Dominica
94.00
2003 est.
97 Paraguay
94.00
2003 est.
98 Vietnam
94.00
2002 est.
99 Equatorial Guinea
93.90
2010 est.
100 Maldives
93.80
2006 Census
101 Fiji
93.70
2003 est.
102 Marshall Islands
93.70
1999
103 Hong Kong
93.50
2002
104 Kuwait
93.30
2005 census
105 Venezuela
93.00
2001 census
106 Peru
92.90
2007 Census
107 Malta
92.80
2005 Census
108 Brunei
92.70
2001 census
109 Philippines
92.60
2000 census
110 Thailand
92.60
2000 census
111 Jordan
92.60
2010 est.
112 Singapore
92.50
2000 census
113 Gaza Strip
92.40
2004 est.
114 West Bank
92.40
2004 est.
115 China
92.20
2007
116 Palau
92.00
1980 est.
117 Kosovo
91.90
2007 Census
118 Panama
91.90
2000 census
119 Guyana
91.80
2002 Census
120 Seychelles
91.80
2002 census
121 Macau
91.30
2001 census
122 Sri Lanka
91.20
2010 census
123 Ecuador
91.00
2001 census
124 Zimbabwe
90.70
2003 est.
125 Colombia
90.40
2005 census
126 Indonesia
90.40
2004 est.
127 Saint Lucia
90.10
2001 est.
128 Burma
89.90
2006 est.
129 Lesotho
89.60
2010 est.
130 Suriname
89.60
2004 census
131 Libya
89.20
2010 est.
132 Micronesia, Federated States of
89.00
1980 est.
133 Namibia
88.80
2010 est.
134 Malaysia
88.70
2000 census
135 Brazil
88.60
2004 est.
136 Mauritius
88.50
2010 est.
137 Gabon
88.40
2010 est.
138 Jamaica
87.90
2003 est.
139 Kenya
87.40
2010 est.
140 Turkey
87.40
2004 est.
141 Lebanon
87.40
2003 est.
142 Dominican Republic
87.00
2002 census
143 Bolivia
86.70
2001 census
144 Saudi Arabia
86.60
2010 est.
145 South Africa
86.40
2003 est.
146 Mexico
86.10
2005 Census
147 Antigua and Barbuda
85.80
2003 est.
148 Sao Tome and Principe
84.90
2001 census
149 Botswana
84.50
2010 est.
150 Cape Verde
84.30
2010 est.
151 Congo, Republic of the
83.80
2003 est.
152 Swaziland
81.60
2003 est.
153 Oman
81.40
2003 census
154 El Salvador
81.10
2007 census
155 Zambia
80.60
2003 est.
156 Gibraltar
80.00
NA
157 Honduras
80.00
2001 census
158 Syria
79.60
2004 census
159 Iraq
78.20
2010 est.
160 United Arab Emirates
77.90
2003 est.
161 Iran
77.00
2002 est.
162 Belize
76.90
2000 census
163 Cameroon
75.90
2001 est.
164 Comoros
74.90
2010 est.
165 Malawi
74.80
2010 est.
166 Tunisia
74.30
2004 census
167 Vanuatu
74.00
1999 census
168 Cambodia
73.60
2004 est.
169 Laos
73.00
2005 Census
170 Egypt
72.00
2010 est.
171 Rwanda
71.10
2010 est.
172 Angola
70.10
2010 est.
173 Algeria
69.90
2002 est.
174 Tanzania
69.40
2002 census
175 Guatemala
69.10
2002 census
176 Djibouti
67.90
2003 est.
177 Eritrea
67.80
2010 est.
178 Nicaragua
67.50
2003 est.
179 Ghana
67.30
2010 census
180 Burundi
67.20
2010 est.
181 Uganda
66.80
2002 census
182 Congo, Democratic Republic of the
66.80
2010 est.
183 Madagascar
64.50
2009 est.
184 Yemen
63.90
2010 est.
185 Nigeria
61.30
2010 est.
186 Sudan
61.10
2003 est.
187 India
61.00
2001 census
188 Togo
60.90
2003 est.
189 Liberia
60.80
2010 est.
190 Nepal
60.30
2010 census
191 Timor-Leste
58.60
2002
192 Mauritania
58.00
2010 est.
193 Papua New Guinea
57.30
2000 census
194 Bangladesh
56.80
2010 est.
195 Cote d'Ivoire
56.20
2010 est.
196 Mozambique
56.10
2010 est.
197 Morocco
56.10
2009 est.
198 Central African Republic
56.00
2010 est.
199 Pakistan
54.90
2009 est.
200 Guinea-Bissau
54.20
2010 est.
201 Haiti
52.90
2003 est.
202 Wallis and Futuna
50.00
1969 est.
203 Gambia, The
50.00
2010 est.
204 Bhutan
47.00
2003 est.
205 Ethiopia
42.70
2003 est.
206 Benin
42.40
2010 census
207 Guinea
41.00
2010 est.
208 Senegal
39.30
2002 est.
209 Somalia
37.80
2001 est.
210 Sierra Leone
35.10
2004 est.
211 Chad
34.50
2010 est.
212 Mali
31.10
2010 est.
213 Niger
28.70
2005 est.
214 Afghanistan
28.10
2000 est.
215 South Sudan
27.00
NA
216 Burkina Faso
21.80
2003 est.