Skip to content. | Skip to navigation

 
Central Intelligence Agency
The Work of a Nation. The Center of Intelligence
CIA - The World Factbook The World Factbook Home
CIA - The World Factbook
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.
Download Data
Rank
country (%) Date of Information
1 Andorra
100.00
NA
2 Finland
100.00
2000 est.
3 Greenland
100.00
2001 est.
4 Georgia
100.00
2004 est.
5 Norway
100.00
NA
6 Holy See (Vatican City)
100.00
NA
7 Luxembourg
100.00
2000 est.
8 Liechtenstein
100.00
NA
9 Cuba
99.80
2002 census
10 Poland
99.80
2003 est.
11 Estonia
99.80
2000 census
12 Barbados
99.70
2002 est.
13 Samoa
99.70
2003 est.
14 Slovenia
99.70
NA
15 Latvia
99.70
2000 census
16 Belarus
99.60
1999 census
17 Slovakia
99.60
2004
18 Lithuania
99.60
2001 census
19 Kazakhstan
99.50
1999 est.
20 Tajikistan
99.50
2000 census
21 Armenia
99.40
2001 census
22 Ukraine
99.40
2001 census
23 Russia
99.40
2002 census
24 Hungary
99.40
2003 est.
25 Uzbekistan
99.30
2003 est.
26 Moldova
99.10
2005 est.
27 Australia
99.00
2003 est.
28 Belgium
99.00
2003 est.
29 Denmark
99.00
2003 est.
30 Czech Republic
99.00
2003 est.
31 Japan
99.00
2002
32 Netherlands
99.00
2003 est.
33 United States
99.00
2003 est.
34 United Kingdom
99.00
2003 est.
35 Switzerland
99.00
2003 est.
36 Sweden
99.00
2003 est.
37 Saint Pierre and Miquelon
99.00
1982 est.
38 New Zealand
99.00
2003 est.
39 Monaco
99.00
2003 est.
40 Korea, North
99.00
NA
41 Iceland
99.00
2003 est.
42 Germany
99.00
2003 est.
43 France
99.00
2003 est.
44 Ireland
99.00
2003 est.
45 Canada
99.00
2003 est.
46 Tonga
98.90
1999 est.
47 Azerbaijan
98.80
1999 census
48 Turkmenistan
98.80
1999 est.
49 Guyana
98.80
2003 est.
50 Albania
98.70
2001 census
51 Kyrgyzstan
98.70
1999 census
52 Trinidad and Tobago
98.60
2003 est.
53 Italy
98.40
2001 census
54 Bulgaria
98.20
2001 census
55 Croatia
98.10
2001 census
56 Austria
98.00
NA
57 Bermuda
98.00
2005 est.
58 Uruguay
98.00
2003 est.
59 Turks and Caicos Islands
98.00
1970 est.
60 French Polynesia
98.00
1977 est.
61 Cayman Islands
98.00
1970 est.
62 Korea, South
97.90
2002
63 Spain
97.90
2003 est.
64 Mongolia
97.80
2000 census
65 British Virgin Islands
97.80
NA
66 Saint Kitts and Nevis
97.80
2003 est.
67 Cyprus
97.60
2001 census
68 Aruba
97.30
2000 census
69 Romania
97.30
2002 census
70 Argentina
97.20
2001 census
71 Israel
97.10
2004 est.
72 American Samoa
97.00
1980 est.
73 Saint Helena
97.00
1987 est.
74 Montserrat
97.00
1970 est.
75 Northern Mariana Islands
97.00
1980 est.
76 Bosnia and Herzegovina
96.70
2000 est.
77 Netherlands Antilles
96.70
2003 est.
78 Serbia
96.40
NA
79 Maldives
96.30
2000 census
80 New Caledonia
96.20
1996 census
81 Macedonia
96.10
2002 census
82 Taiwan
96.10
2003
83 Grenada
96.00
2003 est.
84 Greece
96.00
2001 census
85 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
96.00
1970 est.
86 San Marino
96.00
NA
87 Chile
95.70
2002 census
88 Bahamas, The
95.60
2003 est.
89 Anguilla
95.00
1984 est.
90 Cook Islands
95.00
NA
91 Niue
95.00
NA
92 Costa Rica
94.90
2000 census
93 Puerto Rico
94.10
2002 est.
94 Dominica
94.00
2003 est.
95 Paraguay
94.00
2003 est.
96 Fiji
93.70
2003 est.
97 Marshall Islands
93.70
1999
98 Hong Kong
93.50
2002
99 Kuwait
93.30
2005 census
100 Portugal
93.30
2003 est.
101 Venezuela
93.00
2001 census
102 Peru
92.90
2007 Census
103 Malta
92.80
2003 est.
104 Brunei
92.70
2001 census
105 Philippines
92.60
2000 census
106 Thailand
92.60
2000 census
107 Singapore
92.50
2000 census
108 Gaza Strip
92.40
2004 est.
109 West Bank
92.40
2004 est.
110 Palau
92.00
1980 est.
111 Kosovo
91.90
2007 Census
112 Panama
91.90
2000 census
113 Seychelles
91.80
2002 census
114 Macau
91.30
2001 census
115 Ecuador
91.00
2001 census
116 Mexico
91.00
2004 est.
117 China
90.90
2000 census
118 Sri Lanka
90.70
2001 census
119 Zimbabwe
90.70
2003 est.
120 Colombia
90.40
2005 census
121 Indonesia
90.40
2004 est.
122 Vietnam
90.30
2002 est.
123 Saint Lucia
90.10
2001 est.
124 Burma
89.90
2006 est.
125 Jordan
89.90
2003 est.
126 Suriname
89.60
2004 census
127 Micronesia, Federated States of
89.00
1980 est.
128 Qatar
89.00
2004 census
129 Malaysia
88.70
2000 census
130 Brazil
88.60
2004 est.
131 Jamaica
87.90
2003 est.
132 Lebanon
87.40
2003 est.
133 Turkey
87.40
2004 est.
134 Dominican Republic
87.00
2002 census
135 Equatorial Guinea
87.00
2000 est.
136 Bolivia
86.70
2001 census
137 Bahrain
86.50
2001 census
138 South Africa
86.40
2003 est.
139 Antigua and Barbuda
85.80
2003 est.
140 Kenya
85.10
2003 est.
141 Namibia
85.00
2001 census
142 Sao Tome and Principe
84.90
2001 census
143 Lesotho
84.80
2003 est.
144 Mauritius
84.40
2000 census
145 Congo, Republic of the
83.80
2003 est.
146 Libya
82.60
2003 est.
147 Swaziland
81.60
2003 est.
148 Oman
81.40
2003 census
149 Botswana
81.20
2003 est.
150 Zambia
80.60
2003 est.
151 El Salvador
80.20
2003 est.
152 Gibraltar
80.00
NA
153 Honduras
80.00
2001 census
154 Syria
79.60
2004 census
155 Saudi Arabia
78.80
2003 est.
156 United Arab Emirates
77.90
2003 est.
157 Iran
77.00
2002 est.
158 Belize
76.90
2000 census
159 Cape Verde
76.60
2003 est.
160 Tunisia
74.30
2004 census
161 Iraq
74.10
2000 est.
162 Vanuatu
74.00
1999 census
163 Cambodia
73.60
2004 est.
164 Egypt
71.40
2005 est.
165 Rwanda
70.40
2003 est.
166 Algeria
69.90
2002 est.
167 Tanzania
69.40
2002 census
168 Guatemala
69.10
2002 census
169 Madagascar
68.90
2003 est.
170 Laos
68.70
2001 est.
171 Nigeria
68.00
2003 est.
172 Cameroon
67.90
2001 est.
173 Djibouti
67.90
2003 est.
174 Nicaragua
67.50
2003 est.
175 Angola
67.40
2001 est.
176 Congo, Democratic Republic of the
67.20
2001 est.
177 Uganda
66.80
2002 census
178 Gabon
63.20
1995 est.
179 Malawi
62.70
2003 est.
180 Sudan
61.10
2003 est.
181 India
61.00
2001 census
182 Togo
60.90
2003 est.
183 Burundi
59.30
2000 est.
184 Eritrea
58.60
2003 est.
185 Timor-Leste
58.60
2002
186 Ghana
57.90
2000 census
187 Liberia
57.50
NA
188 Papua New Guinea
57.30
2000 census
189 Comoros
56.50
2003 est.
190 Haiti
52.90
2003 est.
191 Morocco
52.30
2004 census
192 Mauritania
51.20
2000 census
193 Yemen
50.20
2003 est.
194 Wallis and Futuna
50.00
1969 est.
195 Pakistan
49.90
2005 est.
196 Cote d'Ivoire
48.70
2000 est.
197 Central African Republic
48.60
2000 est.
198 Nepal
48.60
2001 census
199 Bangladesh
47.90
2001 Census
200 Mozambique
47.80
2003 est.
201 Bhutan
47.00
2003 est.
202 Mali
46.40
2003 est.
203 Ethiopia
42.70
2003 est.
204 Guinea-Bissau
42.40
2003 est.
205 Gambia, The
40.10
2003 est.
206 Senegal
39.30
2002 est.
207 Somalia
37.80
2001 est.
208 Sierra Leone
35.10
2004 est.
209 Benin
34.70
2002 census
210 Guinea
29.50
2003 est.
211 Niger
28.70
2005 est.
212 Afghanistan
28.10
2000 est.
213 Chad
25.70
2000 est.
214 Burkina Faso
21.80
2003 est.
Back to Top
The online Factbook is updated bi-weekly. ISSN 1553-8133
For additional information on government leaders in selected foreign countries, go to World Leaders.