Adult Literacy Rate by Country
Share of adults aged 15+ who can read and write (%). Data covers 86 countries for 2024, sourced from World Bank Open Data. See also Birth Rate and Death Rate.
HighestTuvalu100
LowestNiger35.6
Average83.686 countries
Year2024latest available
Global adult literacy has climbed above 85%, a huge rise over the past decades.
Top 10 countries
Adult Literacy Rate: full country ranking (2024)
| # | Country | Adult Literacy Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tuvalu | 100 |
| 2 | Uzbekistan | 100 |
| 3 | Russian Federation | 99.9 |
| 4 | San Marino | 99.9 |
| 5 | Turkmenistan | 99.9 |
| 6 | Armenia | 99.8 |
| 7 | Azerbaijan | 99.8 |
| 8 | Spain | 99.7 |
| 9 | Georgia | 99.7 |
| 10 | Tonga | 99.5 |
| 11 | Serbia | 99.3 |
| 12 | Romania | 99.2 |
| 13 | Uruguay | 98.9 |
| 14 | United Arab Emirates | 98.8 |
| 15 | Mongolia | 98.6 |
| 16 | West Bank and Gaza | 97.9 |
| 17 | Saudi Arabia | 97.9 |
| 18 | Bahrain | 97.8 |
| 19 | Albania | 97.7 |
| 20 | Singapore | 97.7 |
| 21 | Oman | 97.3 |
| 22 | Turkiye | 97.3 |
| 23 | Bolivia | 96.7 |
| 24 | Nauru | 96.6 |
| 25 | Panama | 96.2 |
| 26 | Viet Nam | 96.1 |
| 27 | Malaysia | 95.8 |
| 28 | Marshall Islands | 95.8 |
| 29 | Mexico | 95.6 |
| 30 | Colombia | 95.3 |
| 31 | Paraguay | 94.9 |
| 32 | Brazil | 94.7 |
| 33 | Jordan | 94.4 |
| 34 | Syrian Arab Republic | 94.4 |
| 35 | Mauritius | 94.3 |
| 36 | Dominican Republic | 94 |
| 37 | Peru | 93.7 |
| 38 | Ecuador | 93.5 |
| 39 | Sri Lanka | 92.7 |
| 40 | South Africa | 91.2 |
| 41 | Thailand | 91.1 |
| 42 | Eswatini | 90.8 |
| 43 | Lesotho | 90.4 |
| 44 | El Salvador | 89.8 |
| 45 | Iran, Islamic Rep. | 88.9 |
| 46 | Gabon | 88.9 |
| 47 | Cabo Verde | 88.5 |
| 48 | Honduras | 88.3 |
| 49 | Vanuatu | 88 |
| 50 | Belize | 87.9 |
| 51 | Namibia | 87.6 |
| 52 | Papua New Guinea | 87 |
| 53 | Tunisia | 86.3 |
| 54 | Iraq | 84.1 |
| 55 | Guatemala | 82.1 |
| 56 | Egypt, Arab Rep. | 79.5 |
| 57 | Bangladesh | 79 |
| 58 | Rwanda | 78.8 |
| 59 | Tanzania | 78.2 |
| 60 | India | 78.2 |
| 61 | Uganda | 77 |
| 62 | Ghana | 76.5 |
| 63 | Lao PDR | 75.6 |
| 64 | Comoros | 75.6 |
| 65 | Madagascar | 74.7 |
| 66 | Togo | 72.6 |
| 67 | Cambodia | 71.9 |
| 68 | Zambia | 71.8 |
| 69 | Nigeria | 70.4 |
| 70 | Timor-Leste | 69.4 |
| 71 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | 68.5 |
| 72 | Angola | 68.2 |
| 73 | Bhutan | 64.9 |
| 74 | Guinea-Bissau | 63.9 |
| 75 | Mozambique | 61.7 |
| 76 | Ethiopia | 60.5 |
| 77 | Pakistan | 58.9 |
| 78 | Somalia, Fed. Rep. | 54.1 |
| 79 | Gambia, The | 51.6 |
| 80 | Benin | 51.4 |
| 81 | Senegal | 50.4 |
| 82 | Cote d'Ivoire | 50 |
| 83 | Burkina Faso | 41.6 |
| 84 | Afghanistan | 37.3 |
| 85 | Mali | 35.6 |
| 86 | Niger | 35.6 |
Source: World Bank Open Data. Latest available year: 2024. Values shown are the most recent reported figure per country.