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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 Georgia
100.00
2004 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 Greenland
100.00
2001 est.
9 Cuba
99.80
2002 census
10 Estonia
99.80
2000 census
11 Poland
99.80
2003 est.
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 Lithuania
99.60
2001 census
18 Slovakia
99.60
2004
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 Hungary
99.40
2003 est.
24 Russia
99.40
2002 census
25 Uzbekistan
99.30
2003 est.
26 Moldova
99.10
2005 est.
27 Australia
99.00
2003 est.
28 Sweden
99.00
2003 est.
29 Saint Pierre and Miquelon
99.00
1982 est.
30 New Zealand
99.00
2003 est.
31 Netherlands
99.00
2003 est.
32 Monaco
99.00
2003 est.
33 Korea, North
99.00
NA
34 Japan
99.00
2002
35 Ireland
99.00
2003 est.
36 Iceland
99.00
2003 est.
37 United States
99.00
2003 est.
38 United Kingdom
99.00
2003 est.
39 Switzerland
99.00
2003 est.
40 Denmark
99.00
2003 est.
41 Belgium
99.00
2003 est.
42 Canada
99.00
2003 est.
43 Germany
99.00
2003 est.
44 France
99.00
2003 est.
45 Czech Republic
99.00
2003 est.
46 Tonga
98.90
1999 est.
47 Azerbaijan
98.80
1999 census
48 Turkmenistan
98.80
1999 est.
49 Albania
98.70
2001 census
50 Kyrgyzstan
98.70
1999 census
51 Trinidad and Tobago
98.60
2003 est.
52 Italy
98.40
2001 census
53 Bulgaria
98.20
2001 census
54 Croatia
98.10
2001 census
55 Austria
98.00
NA
56 Bermuda
98.00
2005 est.
57 Cayman Islands
98.00
1970 est.
58 French Polynesia
98.00
1977 est.
59 Uruguay
98.00
2003 est.
60 Turks and Caicos Islands
98.00
1970 est.
61 Korea, South
97.90
2002
62 Spain
97.90
2003 est.
63 British Virgin Islands
97.80
NA
64 Saint Kitts and Nevis
97.80
2003 est.
65 Mongolia
97.80
2000 census
66 Cyprus
97.60
2001 census
67 Aruba
97.30
2000 census
68 Romania
97.30
2002 census
69 Argentina
97.20
2001 census
70 Israel
97.10
2004 est.
71 American Samoa
97.00
1980 est.
72 Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha
97.00
1987 est.
73 Northern Mariana Islands
97.00
1980 est.
74 Montserrat
97.00
1970 est.
75 Bosnia and Herzegovina
96.70
2000 est.
76 Serbia
96.40
NA
77 New Caledonia
96.20
1996 census
78 Macedonia
96.10
2002 census
79 Taiwan
96.10
2003
80 Greece
96.00
2001 census
81 San Marino
96.00
NA
82 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
96.00
1970 est.
83 Grenada
96.00
2003 est.
84 Chile
95.70
2002 census
85 Bahamas, The
95.60
2003 est.
86 Anguilla
95.00
1984 est.
87 Cook Islands
95.00
NA
88 Niue
95.00
NA
89 Costa Rica
94.90
2000 census
90 Puerto Rico
94.10
2002 est.
91 Dominica
94.00
2003 est.
92 Paraguay
94.00
2003 est.
93 Maldives
93.80
2006 Census
94 Fiji
93.70
2003 est.
95 Marshall Islands
93.70
1999
96 Hong Kong
93.50
2002
97 Kuwait
93.30
2005 census
98 Portugal
93.30
2003 est.
99 Venezuela
93.00
2001 census
100 Peru
92.90
2007 Census
101 Malta
92.80
2005 Census
102 Brunei
92.70
2001 census
103 Philippines
92.60
2000 census
104 Thailand
92.60
2000 census
105 Singapore
92.50
2000 census
106 Gaza Strip
92.40
2004 est.
107 West Bank
92.40
2004 est.
108 Palau
92.00
1980 est.
109 Kosovo
91.90
2007 Census
110 Panama
91.90
2000 census
111 Guyana
91.80
2002 Census
112 Seychelles
91.80
2002 census
113 China
91.60
2007
114 Macau
91.30
2001 census
115 Ecuador
91.00
2001 census
116 Sri Lanka
90.70
2001 census
117 Zimbabwe
90.70
2003 est.
118 Colombia
90.40
2005 census
119 Indonesia
90.40
2004 est.
120 Vietnam
90.30
2002 est.
121 Saint Lucia
90.10
2001 est.
122 Burma
89.90
2006 est.
123 Jordan
89.90
2003 est.
124 Suriname
89.60
2004 census
125 Micronesia, Federated States of
89.00
1980 est.
126 Qatar
89.00
2004 census
127 Malaysia
88.70
2000 census
128 Brazil
88.60
2004 est.
129 Jamaica
87.90
2003 est.
130 Lebanon
87.40
2003 est.
131 Turkey
87.40
2004 est.
132 Dominican Republic
87.00
2002 census
133 Equatorial Guinea
87.00
2000 est.
134 Bolivia
86.70
2001 census
135 Bahrain
86.50
2001 census
136 South Africa
86.40
2003 est.
137 Mexico
86.10
2005 Census
138 Antigua and Barbuda
85.80
2003 est.
139 Kenya
85.10
2003 est.
140 Namibia
85.00
2001 census
141 Sao Tome and Principe
84.90
2001 census
142 Lesotho
84.80
2003 est.
143 Mauritius
84.40
2000 census
144 Congo, Republic of the
83.80
2003 est.
145 Libya
82.60
2003 est.
146 Swaziland
81.60
2003 est.
147 Oman
81.40
2003 census
148 Botswana
81.20
2003 est.
149 El Salvador
81.10
2007 census
150 Zambia
80.60
2003 est.
151 Gibraltar
80.00
NA
152 Honduras
80.00
2001 census
153 Syria
79.60
2004 census
154 Saudi Arabia
78.80
2003 est.
155 United Arab Emirates
77.90
2003 est.
156 Iran
77.00
2002 est.
157 Belize
76.90
2000 census
158 Cape Verde
76.60
2003 est.
159 Tunisia
74.30
2004 census
160 Iraq
74.10
2000 est.
161 Vanuatu
74.00
1999 census
162 Cambodia
73.60
2004 est.
163 Laos
73.00
2005 Census
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 Nigeria
68.00
2003 est.
171 Cameroon
67.90
2001 est.
172 Djibouti
67.90
2003 est.
173 Nicaragua
67.50
2003 est.
174 Angola
67.40
2001 est.
175 Congo, Democratic Republic of the
67.20
2001 est.
176 Uganda
66.80
2002 census
177 Gabon
63.20
1995 est.
178 Malawi
62.70
2003 est.
179 Sudan
61.10
2003 est.
180 India
61.00
2001 census
181 Togo
60.90
2003 est.
182 Burundi
59.30
2000 est.
183 Eritrea
58.60
2003 est.
184 Timor-Leste
58.60
2002
185 Ghana
57.90
2000 census
186 Liberia
57.50
NA
187 Papua New Guinea
57.30
2000 census
188 Comoros
56.50
2003 est.
189 Haiti
52.90
2003 est.
190 Morocco
52.30
2004 census
191 Mauritania
51.20
2000 census
192 Yemen
50.20
2003 est.
193 Wallis and Futuna
50.00
1969 est.
194 Pakistan
49.90
2005 est.
195 Cote d'Ivoire
48.70
2000 est.
196 Central African Republic
48.60
2000 est.
197 Nepal
48.60
2001 census
198 Bangladesh
47.90
2001 Census
199 Mozambique
47.80
2003 est.
200 Bhutan
47.00
2003 est.
201 Mali
46.40
2003 est.
202 Ethiopia
42.70
2003 est.
203 Guinea-Bissau
42.40
2003 est.
204 Gambia, The
40.10
2003 est.
205 Senegal
39.30
2002 est.
206 Somalia
37.80
2001 est.
207 Sierra Leone
35.10
2004 est.
208 Benin
34.70
2002 census
209 Guinea
29.50
2003 est.
210 Niger
28.70
2005 est.
211 Afghanistan
28.10
2000 est.
212 Chad
25.70
2000 est.
213 Burkina Faso
21.80
2003 est.
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