To a large extent, a person’s professional trajectory is predicated on their literacy level or their ability to read and write clearly and accurately. There is a wide selection of jobs to choose from for individuals who can read and write, including highly-skilled, high-paying ones.
Those who cannot do so have few choices; even entry-level positions paying the federal minimum wage might be difficult to come by.
There is a high level of global literacy. 86.3 percent of all 15-year-old boys and girls can read and write. Males over the age of 15 have a literacy rate of 90%, while females fall slightly behind at 82.7 percent.
Despite this, there are enormous disparities across countries. Adult literacy in developed countries is virtually usually at least 96%.
Less-developed countries have an average literacy rate of just 66%. Literacy comparisons across countries tend to be inaccurate. This is due mostly to two complicating factors: Several nations don’t publish their literacy every year, and many countries have different definitions of literacy.
The World’s Top 10 Literate Countries:
- Uzbekistan – 2018 – 99.99%
- Ukraine – 2012 – 99.97%
- San Marino – 2018 – 99.92%
- Latvia – 2018 – 99.89%
- Estonia – 2011 – 99.89%
- Czech Republic – 2016 – 99.83%
- Lithuania – 2011 – 99.82%
- Tajikstan – 2014 – 99.80%
- Azerbaijan – 2017 – 99.79%
- Kazakhstan – 2018 – 99.78%
Top 10 world’s least-literate countries
- Chad – 2016 – 22.31%
- Guinea – 2014 – 32.00%
- South Sudan – 2018 – 34.52%
- Niger – 2018 – 35.05%
- Mali – 2018 – 35.47%
- Central African Republic – 37.40%
- Burkina Faso – 2018 – 41.22%
- Benin – 2018 – 42.36%
- Afghanistan – 2018 – 43.02%
- Sierra Leone – 2018 – 43.21%
The relationship between literacy and poverty
There is a correlation between poverty and illiteracy. Poverty has a significant impact on educational opportunities. Furthermore, even if schooling is accessible, a disadvantaged family may need its children to work and earn money rather than attend school.
Literacy levels are lowest in South Asia, West Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa, also home to the world’s poorest nations.
As many as 781 million individuals throughout the globe are unable to read or write, and approximately two-thirds of them are women. In less-developed nations, women are generally expected to remain at home and care for the house and children.
Also See: Education Rankings by Country 2022
At the same time, men go to work, this gender inequality is especially obvious. The literacy rates of men and women are almost identical in industrialized countries. As a complete list of all known data on literacy rates across the globe, please refer to the following table.
Country | Latest Rate | Rate Year | 2022 Population |
---|---|---|---|
Liechtenstein | 100 | 2011 | 38.3870 |
Greenland | 100 | 2001 | 56.9730 |
Andorra | 100 | 2011 | 77.4630 |
Luxembourg | 100 | 2000 | 642.3710 |
Norway | 100 | 2011 | 5511.3700 |
Finland | 100 | 2000 | 5554.9600 |
Uzbekistan | 99.9952 | 2015 | 34382.0840 |
Latvia | 99.8927 | 2015 | 1848.8370 |
Estonia | 99.8235 | 2015 | 1321.9100 |
Lithuania | 99.8233 | 2015 | 2661.7080 |
Azerbaijan | 99.8053 | 2015 | 10300.2050 |
Guam | 99.7890 | 2015 | 171.5190 |
Kazakhstan | 99.7878 | 2015 | 19205.0430 |
Poland | 99.7874 | 2015 | 37739.7850 |
Tajikistan | 99.7811 | 2015 | 9957.4640 |
Armenia | 99.7684 | 2015 | 2971.9660 |
Ukraine | 99.7641 | 2015 | 43192.1220 |
Georgia | 99.7596 | 2015 | 3968.7380 |
Belarus | 99.7220 | 2015 | 9432.8000 |
Russia | 99.7196 | 2015 | 145805.9470 |
Slovenia | 99.7148 | 2015 | 2078.0340 |
Cuba | 99.7107 | 2015 | 11305.6520 |
Barbados | 99.7000 | 2002 | 288.0230 |
Turkmenistan | 99.6929 | 2015 | 6201.9430 |
Slovakia | 99.6000 | 2004 | 5460.1930 |
Palau | 99.5240 | 2015 | 18.2330 |
Kyrgyzstan | 99.5013 | 2015 | 6728.2710 |
Tonga | 99.3979 | 2015 | 107.7490 |
Hungary | 99.3809 | 2015 | 9606.2590 |
Maldives | 99.3210 | 2015 | 540.9850 |
Croatia | 99.2726 | 2015 | 4059.2860 |
Moldova | 99.2444 | 2015 | 4013.1710 |
Cyprus | 99.0598 | 2015 | 1223.3870 |
Italy | 99.0158 | 2015 | 60262.7700 |
Samoa | 99.0150 | 2015 | 202.2390 |
Saint Pierre and Miquelon | 99 | 1982 | 5.7590 |
Monaco | 99 | 2003 | 39.7830 |
Iceland | 99 | 2003 | 345.3930 |
New Zealand | 99 | 2003 | 4898.2030 |
Ireland | 99 | 2003 | 5020.1990 |
Denmark | 99 | 2003 | 5834.9500 |
Switzerland | 99 | 2003 | 8773.6370 |
Sweden | 99 | 2003 | 10218.9710 |
Belgium | 99 | 2003 | 11668.2780 |
Netherlands | 99 | 2003 | 17211.4470 |
Australia | 99 | 2003 | 26068.7920 |
Canada | 99 | 2003 | 38388.4190 |
France | 99 | 2003 | 65584.5180 |
United Kingdom | 99 | 2003 | 68497.9070 |
Germany | 99 | 2003 | 83883.5960 |
Japan | 99 | 2002 | 125584.8380 |
United States | 99 | 2003 | 334805.2690 |
Trinidad and Tobago | 98.9696 | 2015 | 1406.5850 |
Antigua and Barbuda | 98.9500 | 2014 | 99.5090 |
Cayman Islands | 98.8678 | 2007 | 67.2770 |
Romania | 98.7570 | 2015 | 19031.3350 |
Montenegro | 98.7199 | 2015 | 627.9500 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 98.4858 | 2015 | 3249.3170 |
Uruguay | 98.4421 | 2015 | 3496.0160 |
Bulgaria | 98.3886 | 2015 | 6844.5970 |
Mongolia | 98.3676 | 2015 | 3378.0780 |
Marshall Islands | 98.2651 | 2015 | 60.0570 |
Spain | 98.1145 | 2015 | 46719.1420 |
Argentina | 98.0900 | 2015 | 46010.2340 |
Jordan | 98.0144 | 2015 | 10300.8690 |
Serbia | 98.0029 | 2015 | 8653.0160 |
Turks and Caicos Islands | 98 | 1970 | 39.7410 |
Bermuda | 98 | 2005 | 61.9390 |
French Polynesia | 98 | 1977 | 284.1640 |
Austria | 98 | 2011 | 9066.7100 |
South Korea | 97.9659 | 2008 | 51329.8990 |
North Macedonia | 97.8438 | 2015 | 2081.3040 |
British Virgin Islands | 97.8000 | 1991 | 30.5960 |
Saint Kitts and Nevis | 97.8000 | 2003 | 53.8710 |
Qatar | 97.7571 | 2015 | 2979.9150 |
Costa Rica | 97.6472 | 2015 | 5182.3540 |
Albania | 97.5539 | 2015 | 2866.3740 |
Aruba | 97.5242 | 2015 | 107.6090 |
American Samoa | 97.3442 | 1980 | 55.0300 |
Israel | 97.1000 | 2004 | 8922.8920 |
Montserrat | 97 | 1970 | 4.9650 |
Northern Mariana Islands | 97 | 1980 | 58.2690 |
New Caledonia | 96.9378 | 2015 | 290.9150 |
Singapore | 96.7746 | 2015 | 5943.5460 |
Palestine | 96.6680 | 2015 | 5345.5410 |
Brunei | 96.6565 | 2015 | 445.4310 |
Chile | 96.6275 | 2015 | 19250.1950 |
Philippines | 96.6180 | 2015 | 112508.9940 |
China | 96.3575 | 2015 | 1448471.4000 |
Kuwait | 96.1177 | 2015 | 4380.3260 |
Taiwan | 96.1000 | 2003 | 23888.5950 |
San Marino | 96 | 2011 | 34.0850 |
Grenada | 96 | 2003 | 113.4750 |
Bahrain | 95.7173 | 2015 | 1783.9830 |
Turkey | 95.6881 | 2015 | 85561.9760 |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 95.6322 | 1970 | 111.5510 |
Bahamas | 95.6000 | 2003 | 400.5160 |
Suriname | 95.5390 | 2015 | 596.8310 |
Paraguay | 95.5361 | 2015 | 7305.8430 |
Indonesia | 95.4377 | 2015 | 279134.5050 |
Portugal | 95.4281 | 2015 | 10140.5700 |
Venezuela | 95.3992 | 2015 | 29266.9910 |
Seychelles | 95.3211 | 2015 | 99.4260 |
Greece | 95.2929 | 2015 | 10316.6370 |
Equatorial Guinea | 95.1957 | 2015 | 1496.6620 |
Bolivia | 95.1419 | 2015 | 11992.6560 |
Panama | 95.0382 | 2015 | 4446.9640 |
Niue | 95 | 2011 | 1.6220 |
Anguilla | 95 | 1984 | 15.2300 |
Cook Islands | 95 | 2011 | 17.5710 |
Saudi Arabia | 94.8424 | 2015 | 35844.9090 |
Malaysia | 94.6370 | 2015 | 33181.0720 |
South Africa | 94.5979 | 2015 | 60756.1350 |
Colombia | 94.5771 | 2015 | 51512.7620 |
Mexico | 94.5456 | 2015 | 131562.7720 |
Ecuador | 94.5155 | 2015 | 18113.3610 |
Vietnam | 94.5143 | 2015 | 98953.5410 |
Peru | 94.3744 | 2015 | 33684.2080 |
Malta | 94.0666 | 2015 | 444.0330 |
Lebanon | 94.0511 | 2015 | 6684.8490 |
Dominica | 94 | 2003 | 72.3440 |
Thailand | 93.9830 | 2015 | 70078.2030 |
Oman | 93.9716 | 2015 | 5323.9930 |
Fiji | 93.7000 | 2003 | 909.4660 |
Hong Kong | 93.5000 | 2002 | 7604.2990 |
Puerto Rico | 93.3294 | 2015 | 2829.8120 |
Myanmar | 93.0901 | 2015 | 55227.1430 |
United Arab Emirates | 92.9864 | 2015 | 10081.7850 |
Sri Lanka | 92.6142 | 2015 | 21575.8420 |
Brazil | 92.5868 | 2015 | 215353.5930 |
Dominican Republic | 92.4654 | 2015 | 11056.3700 |
Sao Tome and Principe | 91.7471 | 2015 | 227.6790 |
Libya | 91.3889 | 2015 | 7040.7450 |
Namibia | 90.8205 | 2015 | 2633.8740 |
Mauritius | 90.6160 | 2015 | 1274.7270 |
Saint Lucia | 90.1000 | 2001 | 185.1130 |
Micronesia | 89 | 1980 | 117.4890 |
Jamaica | 88.4999 | 2015 | 2985.0940 |
Cape Verde | 88.4654 | 2015 | 567.6780 |
Honduras | 88.4246 | 2015 | 10221.2470 |
Botswana | 88.2244 | 2015 | 2441.1620 |
El Salvador | 87.6482 | 2015 | 6550.3890 |
Guyana | 87.5353 | 2015 | 794.0450 |
Eswatini | 87.4702 | 2015 | 1184.8170 |
Iran | 87.1725 | 2015 | 86022.8370 |
Zimbabwe | 86.8735 | 2015 | 15331.4280 |
Syria | 86.3039 | 2015 | 19364.8090 |
Burundi | 85.4961 | 2015 | 12624.8400 |
Zambia | 85.1173 | 2015 | 19470.2340 |
Vanuatu | 85.0587 | 2015 | 321.8320 |
Solomon Islands | 84.1000 | 2011 | 721.1590 |
Gabon | 83.2379 | 2015 | 2331.5330 |
Belize | 82.7768 | 2015 | 412.1900 |
Nicaragua | 82.4718 | 2015 | 6779.1000 |
Tunisia | 81.0542 | 2015 | 12046.6560 |
Tanzania | 80.3595 | 2015 | 63298.5500 |
Gibraltar | 80 | 2011 | 33.7040 |
Laos | 79.8675 | 2015 | 7481.0230 |
Iraq | 79.7218 | 2015 | 42164.9650 |
Algeria | 79.6084 | 2015 | 45350.1480 |
Lesotho | 79.3609 | 2015 | 2175.6990 |
Guatemala | 79.0742 | 2015 | 18584.0390 |
Cambodia | 78.3459 | 2015 | 17168.6390 |
Comoros | 78.1374 | 2015 | 907.4190 |
Kenya | 78.0234 | 2015 | 56215.2210 |
DR Congo | 77.2217 | 2015 | 95240.7920 |
Ghana | 76.5759 | 2015 | 32395.4500 |
Egypt | 75.8426 | 2015 | 106156.6920 |
Cameroon | 74.9856 | 2015 | 27911.5480 |
Eritrea | 73.8453 | 2015 | 3662.2440 |
Uganda | 73.8098 | 2015 | 48432.8630 |
India | 72.2253 | 2015 | 1406631.7760 |
Morocco | 71.7105 | 2015 | 37772.7560 |
Rwanda | 71.2435 | 2015 | 13600.4640 |
Angola | 71.1642 | 2015 | 35027.3430 |
Yemen | 69.9620 | 2015 | 31154.8670 |
Djibouti | 67.9000 | 2003 | 1016.0970 |
Togo | 66.5376 | 2015 | 8680.8370 |
Malawi | 65.9638 | 2015 | 20180.8390 |
Nepal | 64.6636 | 2015 | 30225.5820 |
Madagascar | 64.6563 | 2015 | 29178.0770 |
Bhutan | 63.9068 | 2015 | 787.9410 |
Papua New Guinea | 63.4335 | 2015 | 9292.1690 |
Bangladesh | 61.4938 | 2015 | 167885.6890 |
Haiti | 60.6893 | 2015 | 11680.2830 |
Guinea-Bissau | 59.7728 | 2015 | 2063.3670 |
Nigeria | 59.5681 | 2015 | 216746.9340 |
Mozambique | 58.8366 | 2015 | 33089.4610 |
Sudan | 58.6013 | 2015 | 45992.0200 |
Pakistan | 56.4403 | 2015 | 229488.9940 |
Senegal | 55.6249 | 2015 | 17653.6710 |
Gambia | 55.5728 | 2015 | 2558.4820 |
Mauritania | 52.1236 | 2015 | 4901.9810 |
Wallis and Futuna | 50 | 1969 | 10.9820 |
Ethiopia | 49.0315 | 2015 | 120812.6980 |
Sierra Leone | 48.4319 | 2015 | 8306.4360 |
Liberia | 47.6001 | 2015 | 5305.1170 |
Ivory Coast | 43.2653 | 2015 | 27742.2980 |
Chad | 40.0182 | 2015 | 17413.5800 |
Benin | 38.4471 | 2015 | 12784.7260 |
Afghanistan | 38.1680 | 2015 | 40754.3880 |
Somalia | 37.8000 | 2001 | 16841.7950 |
Burkina Faso | 37.7467 | 2015 | 22102.8380 |
Central African Republic | 36.7526 | 2015 | 5016.6780 |
Mali | 33.0689 | 2015 | 21473.7640 |
South Sudan | 31.9763 | 2015 | 11618.5110 |
Guinea | 30.4728 | 2015 | 13865.6910 |
Niger | 19.1026 | 2015 | 26083.6600 |