This is a list of countries by literacy rate.
| Country | Youth
(15 to 24) |
Adult
(25+) |
Elderly
(65+) |
Youth Gender
Parity Index | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rate | Year | Rate | Year | Rate | Year | Rate | Year | |
| Afghanistan | 47.0 | 2011 | 31.7 | 2011 | 20.3 | 2011 | 0.5 | 2011 |
| Albania | 99.2 | 2012 | 97.2 | 2012 | 86.9 | 2012 | 1.0 | 2012 |
| Algeria | 93.8 | 2008 | 75.1 | 2008 | 19.5 | 2008 | 1.0 | 2008 |
| American Samoa | 97.7 | 1980 | 97.3 | 1980 | 92.7 | 1980 | 1.0 | 1980 |
| Andorra | ||||||||
| Angola | 77.4 | 2014 | 66.0 | 2014 | 27.0 | 2014 | 0.8 | 2014 |
| Anguilla | 99.1 | 1984 | 95.4 | 1984 | 88.0 | 1984 | 1.0 | 1984 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 98.9 | 2015 | ||||||
| Argentina | 99.5 | 2016 | 99.1 | 2016 | 97.9 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
| Armenia | 99.8 | 2011 | 99.7 | 2011 | 98.9 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
| Aruba | 99.1 | 2010 | 96.8 | 2010 | 88.9 | 2010 | 1.0 | 2010 |
| Australia | ||||||||
| Austria | ||||||||
| Azerbaijan | 99.9 | 2016 | 99.8 | 2016 | 98.4 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
| Bahamas | ||||||||
| Bahrain | 97.0 | 2001 | 86.5 | 2001 | 42.3 | 2001 | 1.0 | 2001 |
| Bangladesh | 94.9 | 2019 | 74.7 | 2019 | 39.4 | 2019 | 1.03 | 2019 |
| Barbados | 99.9 | 2014 | 99.6 | 2014 | 98.5 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
| Belarus | 99.8 | 2009 | 99.6 | 2009 | 98.6 | 2009 | 1.0 | 2009 |
| Belgium | ||||||||
| Belize | 77.6 | 1991 | 70.3 | 1991 | 44.8 | 1991 | 1.0 | 1991 |
| Benin | 52.5 | 2012 | 32.9 | 2012 | 7.0 | 2012 | 0.6 | 2012 |
| Bermuda | ||||||||
| Bhutan | 87.3 | 2012 | 57.0 | 2012 | 14.9 | 2012 | 0.9 | 2012 |
| Bolivia | 99.4 | 2015 | 92.5 | 2015 | 67.5 | 2015 | 1.0 | 2015 |
| Bonaire | ||||||||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 99.7 | 2013 | 97.0 | 2013 | 86.0 | 2013 | 1.0 | 2013 |
| Botswana | 97.7 | 2014 | 87.7 | 2014 | 40.7 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
| Brazil | 99.0 | 2015 | 92.0 | 2015 | 74.3 | 2015 | 1.0 | 2015 |
| British Virgin Islands | ||||||||
| Brunei | 99.4 | 2011 | 96.1 | 2011 | 61.6 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
| Bulgaria | 97.9 | 2011 | 98.4 | 2011 | 97.5 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
| Burkina Faso | 50.1 | 2014 | 34.6 | 2014 | 8.4 | 2014 | 0.8 | 2014 |
| Burundi | 79.6 | 2014 | 61.6 | 2014 | 24.9 | 2014 | 0.9 | 2014 |
| Cape Verde | 98.1 | 2015 | 86.8 | 2015 | 36.8 | 2015 | 1.0 | 2015 |
| Cambodia | 92.2 | 2015 | 80.5 | 2015 | 53.1 | 2015 | 1.0 | 2015 |
| Cameroon | 80.6 | 2010 | 71.3 | 2010 | 26.1 | 2010 | 0.9 | 2010 |
| Canada | ||||||||
| Cayman Islands | 98.9 | 2007 | 98.9 | 2007 | 94.7 | 2007 | 1.0 | 2007 |
| Central African Republic | 36.4 | 2010 | 36.8 | 2010 | 35.7 | 2010 | 0.6 | 2010 |
| Chad | 30.8 | 2016 | 22.3 | 2016 | 7.0 | 2016 | 0.6 | 2016 |
| Chile | 99.4 | 2015 | 96.9 | 2015 | 89.9 | 2015 | 1.0 | 2015 |
| China | 99.8 | 2018 | 96.8 | 2018 | 73.9 | 2010 | 1.0 | 2018 |
| Hong Kong | ||||||||
| Macau | 99.8 | 2016 | 96.5 | 2016 | 81.2 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
| Colombia | 98.7 | 2016 | 94.7 | 2016 | 81.4 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
| Comoros | 71.6 | 2012 | 49.2 | 2012 | 12.8 | 2012 | 0.9 | 2012 |
| Congo | 80.9 | 2011 | 79.3 | 2011 | 73.1 | 2011 | 0.9 | 2011 |
| DR Congo | 85.0 | 2016 | 77.0 | 2016 | 48.0 | 2016 | 0.9 | 2016 |
| Cook Islands | ||||||||
| Costa Rica | 99.1 | 2011 | 97.4 | 2011 | 90.4 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
| Croatia | 99.7 | 2011 | 99.1 | 2011 | 97.1 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
| Cuba | 99.9 | 2012 | 99.8 | 2012 | 99.2 | 2012 | 1.0 | 2012 |
| Curaçao | ||||||||
| Cyprus | 99.8 | 2011 | 98.7 | 2011 | 93.8 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
| Czech Republic | ||||||||
| Ivory Coast | 53.0 | 2014 | 43.9 | 2014 | 18.0 | 2014 | 0.8 | 2014 |
| Denmark | ||||||||
| Djibouti | ||||||||
| Dominica | ||||||||
| Dominican Republic | 98.8 | 2016 | 93.8 | 2016 | 79.8 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
| Ecuador | 99.1 | 2016 | 94.4 | 2016 | 77.7 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
| Egypt | 93.9 | 2017 | 71.2 | 2017 | 43.2 | 2013 | 1.0 | 2017 |
| El Salvador | 98.0 | 2016 | 88.5 | 2017 | 65.7 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
| Equatorial Guinea | 98.2 | 2014 | 95.0 | 2014 | 67.2 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
| Eritrea | 87.0 | 2008 | 64.7 | 2008 | 20.9 | 2008 | 0.9 | 2008 |
| Estonia | 99.9 | 2011 | 99.9 | 2011 | 99.7 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
| Eswatini | 93.5 | 2010 | 83.1 | 2010 | 45.2 | 2010 | 1.0 | 2010 |
| Ethiopia | 55.0 | 2007 | 39.0 | 2007 | 13.6 | 2007 | 0.7 | 2007 |
| Faroe Islands | ||||||||
| Falkland Islands | ||||||||
| Fiji | ||||||||
| Finland | ||||||||
| France | ||||||||
| French Guiana | 91.3 | 1982 | 82.9 | 1982 | 69.7 | 1982 | ||
| French Polynesia | ||||||||
| Gabon | 88.5 | 2012 | 82.3 | 2012 | 60.6 | 2012 | 1.0 | 2012 |
| Gambia | 60.8 | 2013 | 42.0 | 2013 | 10.4 | 2013 | 0.9 | 2013 |
| Georgia | 99.7 | 2014 | 99.6 | 2014 | 99.1 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
| Germany | ||||||||
| Ghana | 85.7 | 2010 | 71.5 | 2010 | 34.9 | 2010 | 0.9 | 2010 |
| Gibraltar | ||||||||
| Greece | 98.8 | 2011 | 97.4 | 2011 | 92.5 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
| Greenland | ||||||||
| Grenada | 99.2 | 2014 | 98.6 | 2014 | 96.2 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
| Guadeloupe | 99.8 | 2014 | 96.0 | 2014 | 82.9 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
| Guam | 99.9 | 1990 | 99.4 | 1990 | 95.9 | 1990 | 1.0 | 1990 |
| Guatemala | 94.4 | 2014 | 81.3 | 2014 | 50.7 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
| Guinea | 46.3 | 2014 | 32.0 | 2014 | 13.1 | 2014 | 0.7 | 2014 |
| Guinea-Bissau | 60.4 | 2014 | 45.6 | 2014 | 19.5 | 2014 | 0.7 | 2014 |
| Guyana | 96.7 | 2014 | 85.6 | 2014 | 49.9 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
| Haiti | 72.3 | 2006 | 48.7 | 2006 | 8.5 | 2006 | 0.9 | 2006 |
| Holy See | ||||||||
| Honduras | 96.1 | 2016 | 89.0 | 2016 | 66.3 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
| Hungary | 98.8 | 2014 | 99.1 | 2014 | 99.1 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
| Iceland | ||||||||
| India | 95.7 | 2018 | 75.4 | 2018 | 45.4 | 2018 | 0.97 | 2018 |
| Indonesia | 99.7 | 2016 | 95.4 | 2016 | 70.1 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
| Iran | 98.1 | 2016 | 85.5 | 2016 | 36.8 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
| Iraq | 93.5 | 2017 | 85.6 | 2017 | 20.4 | 2013 | 0.9 | 2013 |
| Ireland | ||||||||
| Isle of Man | ||||||||
| Israel | 98.6 | 1983 | 91.8 | 1983 | 79.8 | 1983 | 1.0 | 1983 |
| Italy | 99.9 | 2011 | 98.8 | 2011 | 96.7 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
| Jamaica | 96.3 | 2014 | 88.1 | 2014 | 66.6 | 2014 | 1.1 | 2014 |
| Japan | ||||||||
| Jordan | 99.1 | 2012 | 97.9 | 2012 | 87.7 | 2012 | 1.0 | 2012 |
| Kazakhstan | 99.9 | 2010 | 99.8 | 2010 | 99.5 | 2010 | 1.0 | 2010 |
| Kenya | 86.5 | 2014 | 78.7 | 2014 | 54.0 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
| Kiribati | ||||||||
| North Korea | 100.0 | 2008 | 100.0 | 2008 | 100.0 | 2008 | 1.0 | 2008 |
| South Korea | ||||||||
| Kuwait | 99.2 | 2017 | 96.1 | 2018 | 69.5 | 2015 | 1.0 | 2017 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 99.8 | 2009 | 99.2 | 2009 | 92.5 | 2009 | 1.0 | 2009 |
| Laos | 92.5 | 2015 | 84.7 | 2015 | 58.6 | 2015 | 1.0 | 2015 |
| Latvia | 99.8 | 2011 | 99.9 | 2011 | 99.9 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
| Lebanon | 99.2 | 2009 | 91.2 | 2009 | 60.2 | 2009 | 1.0 | 2009 |
| Lesotho | 86.6 | 2014 | 76.6 | 2014 | 51.4 | 2014 | 1.2 | 2014 |
| Liberia | 49.1 | 2007 | 42.9 | 2007 | 32.8 | 2007 | 0.6 | 2007 |
| Libya | 99.6 | 2004 | 86.1 | 2004 | 24.2 | 2004 | 1.0 | 2004 |
| Liechtenstein | ||||||||
| Lithuania | 99.9 | 2011 | 99.8 | 2011 | 99.8 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
| Luxembourg | ||||||||
| Madagascar | 76.8 | 2012 | 71.6 | 2012 | 49.4 | 2012 | 1.0 | 2012 |
| Malawi | 72.9 | 2015 | 62.1 | 2015 | 35.1 | 2015 | 1.0 | 2015 |
| Malaysia | 98.2 | 2001 | 89.5 | 2001 | 47.1 | 2001 | 1.0 | 2001 |
| Maldives | 99.3 | 2014 | 98.6 | 2014 | 92.8 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
| Mali | 49.4 | 2015 | 33.1 | 2015 | 13.6 | 2015 | 0.6 | 2015 |
| Malta | 98.9 | 2011 | 93.3 | 2011 | 85.8 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
| Marshall Islands | 98.5 | 2011 | 98.3 | 2011 | 89.4 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
| Martinique | 99.8 | 2014 | 96.9 | 2014 | 88.1 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
| Mauritania | 56.1 | 2007 | 45.5 | 2007 | 26.6 | 2007 | 0.7 | 2007 |
| Mauritius | 98.1 | 2011 | 93.2 | 2016 | 64.6 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
| Mayotte | ||||||||
| Mexico | 99.1 | 2016 | 94.9 | 2016 | 78.9 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
| Micronesia | ||||||||
| Monaco | ||||||||
| Mongolia | 98.5 | 2010 | 98.3 | 2010 | 94.6 | 2010 | 1.0 | 2010 |
| Montenegro | 99.2 | 2011 | 98.4 | 2011 | 93.9 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
| Montserrat | ||||||||
| Morocco | 97.7 | 2018 | 73.8 | 2018 | 34.1 | 2018 | 0.99 | 2018 |
| Mozambique | 70.5 | 2015 | 56.0 | 2015 | 26.0 | 2015 | 0.8 | 2015 |
| Myanmar | 84.8 | 2016 | 75.6 | 2016 | 58.2 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
| Namibia | 94.4 | 2011 | 88.3 | 2011 | 56.7 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
| Nauru | ||||||||
| Nepal | 84.8 | 2011 | 68 | 2018 | 20.8 | 2011 | 0.9 | 2011 |
| Netherlands | ||||||||
| New Caledonia | 99.2 | 2014 | 97.8 | 2014 | 90.6 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
| New Zealand | ||||||||
| Nicaragua | 87.0 | 2005 | 78.0 | 2005 | 49.2 | 2005 | 1.0 | 2005 |
| Niger | 39.8 | 2012 | 30.6 | 2012 | 13.7 | 2012 | 0.7 | 2012 |
| Nigeria | 66.4 | 2008 | 51.1 | 2008 | 21.6 | 2008 | 0.8 | 2008 |
| Niue | ||||||||
| Northern Mariana Islands | ||||||||
| Norway | ||||||||
| Oman | 98.7 | 2017 | 96.1 | 2017 | 41.9 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2017 |
| Pakistan | 74.5 | 2017 | 59.1 | 2017 | 27.1 | 2017 | 0.83 | 2017 |
| Palau | 98.7 | 2015 | 96.6 | 2015 | 84.7 | 2015 | 1.0 | 2015 |
| Palestine | 99.4 | 2016 | 96.9 | 2016 | 63.9 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
| Panama | 97.6 | 2010 | 94.1 | 2010 | 80.9 | 2010 | 1.0 | 2010 |
| Papua New Guinea | 67.9 | 2010 | 61.6 | 2010 | 33.0 | 2010 | 1.1 | 2010 |
| Paraguay | 98.5 | 2016 | 94.7 | 2016 | 77.8 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
| Peru | 98.9 | 2016 | 94.1 | 2017 | 77.7 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
| Philippines | 98.1 | 2013 | 96.4 | 2013 | 90.1 | 2013 | 1.0 | 2013 |
| Pitcairn Islands | ||||||||
| Poland | 99.8 | 2008 | 98.7 | 2008 | 93.0 | 2008 | 1.0 | 2008 |
| Portugal | 99.4 | 2011 | 94.5 | 2011 | 80.5 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
| Puerto Rico | 98.8 | 2010 | 92.4 | 2017 | 84.5 | 2010 | 1.0 | 2010 |
| Qatar | 95.9 | 2004 | 89.0 | 2004 | 41.0 | 2004 | 1.0 | 2004 |
| Moldova | 99.5 | 2012 | 99.1 | 2012 | 95.8 | 2012 | 1.0 | 2012 |
| Romania | 99.0 | 2011 | 98.6 | 2011 | 96.8 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
| Russia | 99.7 | 2010 | 99.7 | 2010 | 99.2 | 2010 | 1.0 | 2010 |
| Rwanda | 85.1 | 2014 | 70.8 | 2014 | 24.3 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
| Réunion | 95.7 | 1982 | 78.6 | 1982 | 42.0 | 1982 | 1.0 | 1982 |
| Saint Helena | 96.0 | 1998 | ||||||
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | ||||||||
| Saint Lucia | ||||||||
| Saint Pierre and Miquelon | 99.5 | 1982 | 99.3 | 1982 | 98.5 | 1982 | 1.0 | 1982 |
| Saint Martin | ||||||||
| Samoa | 99.2 | 2011 | 99.0 | 2011 | 96.3 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
| San Marino | ||||||||
| São Tomé and Príncipe | 96.7 | 2012 | 90.1 | 2012 | 49.6 | 2012 | 1.0 | 2012 |
| Saudi Arabia | 99.2 | 2013 | 94.4 | 2013 | 51.4 | 2013 | 1.0 | 2013 |
| Senegal | 69.5 | 2017 | 51.9 | 2017 | 21.5 | 2013 | 0.8 | 2017 |
| Serbia | 99.7 | 2016 | 98.8 | 2016 | 96.6 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
| Seychelles | 99.0 | 2010 | 94.0 | 2010 | 71.5 | 2010 | 1.0 | 2010 |
| Sierra Leone | 57.0 | 2013 | 32.4 | 2013 | 3.7 | 2013 | 0.8 | 2013 |
| Singapore | 99.9 | 2016 | 97.0 | 2016 | 84.0 | 2015 | 1.0 | 2016 |
| Sint Maarten | ||||||||
| Slovakia | ||||||||
| Slovenia | 99.8 | 2014 | 99.7 | 2014 | 99.3 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
| Solomon Islands | 76.6 | 1999 | ||||||
| Somalia | ||||||||
| South Africa | 99.0 | 2015 | 94.4 | 2015 | 72.1 | 2015 | 1.0 | 2015 |
| South Sudan | 36.7 | 2008 | 26.8 | 2008 | 11.0 | 2008 | 0.7 | 2008 |
| Spain | 99.6 | 2016 | 98.3 | 2016 | 94.7 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
| Sri Lanka | 98.9 | 2017 | 91.9 | 2017 | 81.0 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2017 |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 98.0 | 1970 | 95.6 | 1970 | 91.0 | 1970 | 1.0 | 1970 |
| Sudan | 65.8 | 2008 | 53.5 | 2008 | 24.3 | 2008 | 0.9 | 2008 |
| Suriname | 97.7 | 2012 | 92.9 | 2012 | 76.0 | 2012 | 1.0 | 2012 |
| Svalbard and Jan Mayen | ||||||||
| Sweden | ||||||||
| Switzerland | ||||||||
| Syria | 92.5 | 2004 | 80.8 | 2004 | 39.0 | 2004 | 1.0 | 2004 |
| Macedonia | 98.7 | 2002 | 96.1 | 2002 | 82.5 | 2002 | 1.0 | 2002 |
| Tajikistan | 99.9 | 2014 | 99.8 | 2014 | 98.1 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
| Tanzania | 85.8 | 2015 | 77.9 | 2015 | 43.5 | 2015 | 1.0 | 2015 |
| Thailand | 98.1 | 2015 | 92.9 | 2015 | 78.7 | 2015 | 1.0 | 2015 |
| East Timor | 79.5 | 2010 | 58.3 | 2010 | 11.2 | 2010 | 1.0 | 2010 |
| Togo | 84.3 | 2015 | 63.7 | 2015 | 20.4 | 2015 | 0.9 | 2015 |
| Tokelau | ||||||||
| Tonga | 99.4 | 2011 | 99.4 | 2011 | 98.9 | 2011 | 1.0 | 2011 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 99.3 | 1990 | 96.9 | 1990 | 82.8 | 1990 | 1.0 | 1990 |
| Tunisia | 96.2 | 2014 | 79.0 | 2014 | 39.8 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
| Turkey | 99.6 | 2016 | 96.2 | 2016 | 88.1 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
| Turkmenistan | 99.8 | 2014 | 99.7 | 2014 | 97.6 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | ||||||||
| Tuvalu | ||||||||
| Uganda | 83.7 | 2012 | 70.2 | 2012 | 36.1 | 2012 | 1.0 | 2012 |
| Ukraine | 100.0 | 2012 | 100.0 | 2012 | 100.0 | 2012 | 1.0 | 2012 |
| United Arab Emirates | 95.0 | 2005 | 90.0 | 2005 | 42.1 | 2005 | 1.0 | 2005 |
| United Kingdom | ||||||||
| United States | ||||||||
| Uruguay | 98.9 | 2017 | 98.6 | 2017 | 97.1 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2017 |
| Uzbekistan | 100.0 | 2016 | 100.0 | 2016 | 99.8 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
| Vanuatu | 95.3 | 2014 | 84.7 | 2014 | 44.2 | 2014 | 1.0 | 2014 |
| Venezuela | 98.8 | 2016 | 97.1 | 2016 | 88.1 | 2016 | 1.0 | 2016 |
| Vietnam | 97.1 | 2009 | 95.8 | 2019 | 76.9 | 2009 | 1.0 | 2009 |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | ||||||||
| Wallis and Futuna | ||||||||
| Western Sahara | ||||||||
| Yemen | 77.0 | 2004 | 54.1 | 2004 | 13.7 | 2004 | 0.7 | 2004 |
| Zambia | 88.7 | 2010 | 83.0 | 2010 | 52.3 | 2010 | 0.9 | 2010 |
| Zimbabwe | 90.4 | 2014 | 88.7 | 2014 | 81.1 | 2014 | 1.1 | 2014 |