This is a list of countries by literacy rate. The figures represented are almost entirely collected by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) on behalf of UNESCO with 2015 estimates based on people aged 15 or over who can read and write.
Literacy Rates 2015 East Africa by jadwongscribd on Scribd
Source Wikipedia
| Country | UNESCO[3] | Non-UNESCO literacy rate | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Literacy rate (all) | Male literacy | Female literacy | Gender difference | ||
 World | 86.3% | 90.0% | 82.7% | 7.3% | |
 Afghanistan | 38.2% | 52.0% | 24.2% | 27.8% | |
 Albania | 97.6% | 98.4% | 96.8% | 1.6% | |
 Algeria | 80.2% | 87.2% | 73.1% | 14.0% | |
 Andorra | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 Angola | 71.1% | 82.0% | 60.7% | 21.3% | |
 Antigua and Barbuda | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | 99.0%(2013)[3][note 1] | |||
 Argentina | 98.1% | 98.0% | 98.1% | -0.1% | |
 Armenia | 99.8% | 99.8% | 99.7% | 0.1% | |
 Australia | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 Austria | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 Azerbaijan | 99.8% | 99.9% | 99.7% | 0.1% | |
 Bahamas | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 Bahrain | 95.7% | 96.9% | 93.5% | 3.5% | |
 Bangladesh | 61.5% | 64.6% | 58.5% | 6.1% | 71% (2014)[5][note 2] |
 Barbados | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 Belarus | 99.7% | 99.8% | 99.7% | 0.1% | |
 Belgium | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 Belize | 82.7% | 82.3% | 83.0% | -0.7% | |
 Benin | 38.4% | 49.9% | 27.3% | 22.6% | |
 Bhutan | 64.9% | 73.1% | 55.0% | 18.1% | |
 Bolivia | 95.7% | 97.8% | 93.6% | 4.2% | |
 Bosnia and Herzegovina | 98.5% | 99.5% | 97.5% | 2.1% | 97.2% (2013)[6][note 3] |
 Botswana | 88.5% | 88.0% | 88.9% | -0.9% | |
 Brazil | 92.6% | 92.2% | 92.9% | -0.7% | |
 Brunei Darussalam | 96.4% | 97.7% | 95.1% | 2.6% | |
 Bulgaria | 98.4% | 98.7% | 98.1% | 0.7% | |
 Burkina Faso | 36% | 43.0% | 29.3% | 13.7% | |
 Burundi | 85.6% | 88.2% | 83.1% | 5.1% | |
 Cabo Verde | 87.6% | 92.1% | 83.1% | 9.0% | |
 Cambodia | 77.2% | 84.5% | 70.5% | 13.9% | |
 Cameroon | 75% | 81.2% | 68.9% | 12.3% | |
 Canada | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 Central African Republic | 36.8% | 50.7% | 24.4% | 26.4% | |
 Chad | 40.2% | 48.5% | 31.9% | 16.6% | |
 Chile | 97.3% | 97.4% | 97.2% | 0.2% | |
 China | 96.4% | 98.2% | 94.5% | 3.7% | |
 Colombia | 94.7% | 94.6% | 94.8% | -0.2% | |
 Comoros | 77.8% | 81.8% | 73.7% | 8.1% | |
 Congo | 79.3% | 86.4% | 72.9% | 13.6% | |
 Congo, Democratic Republic of the | 77.3% | 88.9% | 66.0% | 22.8% | |
 Costa Rica | 97.8% | 97.7% | 97.8% | -0.1% | |
 Côte d'Ivoire | 43.1% | 53.1% | 32.5% | 20.6% | |
 Croatia | 99.3% | 99.7% | 98.9% | 0.7% | |
 Cuba | 99.7% | 99.7% | 99.8% | -0.1% | |
 Cyprus | 99.1% | 99.5% | 98.7% | 0.8% | |
 Czech Republic | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 Denmark | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 Djibouti | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 Dominica | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 Dominican Republic | 91.8% | 91.2% | 92.3% | -1.1% | |
 Ecuador | 94.5% | 95.4% | 93.5% | 1.8% | |
 Egypt | 75.2% | 83.2% | 67.3% | 16.0% | |
 El Salvador | 88.4% | 90.7% | 86.4% | 4.3% | |
 Equatorial Guinea | 95.3% | 97.4% | 93.0% | 4.4% | |
 Eritrea | 73.8% | 82.4% | 65.5% | 16.9% | |
 Estonia | 99.8% | 99.8% | 99.8% | 0.0% | |
 Ethiopia | 49.1% | 57.2% | 41.1% | 16.1% | |
 Fiji | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 Finland | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 France | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 Gabon | 83.2% | 85.3% | 81.0% | 4.3% | |
 Gambia | 55.5% | 63.9% | 47.6% | 16.3% | |
 Georgia | 99.8% | 99.8% | 99.7% | 0.1% | |
 Germany | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 Ghana | 76.6% | 82.0% | 71.4% | 10.7% | |
 Greece | 97.7% | 98.5% | 96.9% | 1.6% | |
 Grenada | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 Guatemala | 79.3% | 84.7% | 74.4% | 10.4% | |
 Guinea | 30.4% | 38.1% | 22.8% | 15.3% | |
 Guinea-Bissau | 59.9% | 71.8% | 48.3% | 23.5% | |
 Guyana | 88.5% | 87.2% | 89.8% | -2.6% | |
 Haiti | 60.7% | 64.3% | 57.3% | 7.0% | |
 Honduras | 88.5% | 88.4% | 88.6% | -0.1% | |
 Hungary | 99.1% | 99.1% | 99.0% | 0.2% | |
 Iceland | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 India | 72.1% | 80.9% | 62.8% | 18.1% | 74.0% (2011)[7][note 4] |
 Indonesia | 93.9% | 96.3% | 91.5% | 4.7% | |
 Iran | 86.8% | 91.2% | 82.5% | 8.7% | |
 Iraq | 79.7% | 85.7% | 73.7% | 11.9% | |
 Ireland | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 Israel | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | 97.8% (2011)[4][note 5] | |||
 Italy | 99.2% | 99.4% | 99.0% | 0.4% | |
 Jamaica | 88.7% | 84.0% | 93.1% | -9.1% | |
 Japan | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 Jordan | 96.7% | 98.1% | 95.2% | 3.0% | |
 Kazakhstan | 99.8% | 99.8% | 99.8% | 0.0% | |
 Kenya | 78% | 81.1% | 74.9% | 6.2% | |
 Kiribati | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 Korea, Democratic People's Republic of | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 0.0% | |
 Korea, Republic of | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 Kuwait | 96.2% | 96.9% | 95.0% | 1.9% | |
 Kyrgyzstan | 99.5% | 99.6% | 99.4% | 0.2% | |
 Laos | 79.9% | 87.1% | 72.8% | 14.3% | |
 Latvia | 99.9% | 99.9% | 99.9% | 0.0% | |
 Lebanon | 93.9% | 96.0% | 91.8% | 4.1% | |
 Lesotho | 79.4% | 70.1% | 88.3% | -18.2% | |
 Liberia | 47.6% | 62.4% | 32.8% | 29.6% | |
 Libya | 91% | 96.7% | 85.6% | 11.1% | |
 Liechtenstein | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 Lithuania | 99.8% | 99.8% | 99.8% | 0.0% | |
 Luxembourg | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 Macedonia | 97.8% | 98.8% | 96.8% | 2.0% | |
 Madagascar | 64.7% | 66.7% | 62.6% | 4.1% | |
 Malawi | 65.8% | 73.0% | 58.6% | 14.4% | |
 Malaysia | 94.6% | 96.2% | 93.2% | 3.0% | |
 Maldives | 99.3% | 99.8% | 98.8% | 0.9% | |
 Mali | 38.7% | 48.2% | 29.2% | 19.0% | |
 Malta | 94.1% | 92.5% | 95.7% | -3.2% | |
 Marshall Islands | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 Mauritania | 52.1% | 62.6% | 41.6% | 21.0% | |
 Mauritius | 90.6% | 92.9% | 88.5% | 4.4% | |
 Mexico | 94.4% | 95.6% | 93.3% | 2.2% | |
 Micronesia | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 Moldova | 99.4% | 99.7% | 99.1% | 0.7% | |
 Monaco | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 Mongolia | 98.4% | 98.2% | 98.6% | -0.4% | |
 Montenegro | 98.7% | 99.5% | 98.0% | 1.4% | |
 Morocco | 72.4% | 82.7% | 62.5% | 20.2% | |
 Mozambique | 58.8% | 73.3% | 45.4% | 27.9% | |
 Myanmar | 93.1% | 95.2% | 91.2% | 4.0% | |
 Namibia | 81.9% | 79.2% | 84.5% | -5.3% | |
 Nauru | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 Nepal | 64.7% | 75.6% | 55.1% | 20.5% | |
 Netherlands | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 New Zealand | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 Nicaragua | 82.8% | 82.4% | 83.2% | -0.9% | |
 Niger | 19.1% | 27.3% | 11.0% | 16.3% | |
 Nigeria | 59.6% | 69.2% | 49.7% | 19.5% | 71.6% (2010)[8][note 6] |
 Norway | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 Oman | 94.8% | 96.9% | 90.0% | 6.9% | |
 Pakistan | 56.4% | 69.6% | 42.7% | 26.9% | |
 Palau | 99.5% | 99.5% | 99.6% | -0.1% | |
 Panama | 95% | 95.7% | 94.4% | 1.2% | |
 Papua New Guinea | 64.2% | 65.6% | 62.8% | 2.8% | |
 Paraguay | 95.6% | 96.1% | 95.0% | 1.1% | |
 Peru | 94.5% | 97.3% | 91.7% | 5.6% | |
 Philippines | 96.3% | 95.8% | 96.8% | -1.0% | |
 Poland | 99.8% | 99.9% | 99.7% | 0.2% | |
 Portugal | 95.4% | 96.9% | 94.1% | 2.8% | |
 Qatar | 97.8% | 97.9% | 97.3% | 0.6% | |
 Romania | 98.8% | 99.1% | 98.5% | 0.6% | |
 Russia | 99.7% | 99.7% | 99.7% | 0.0% | |
 Rwanda | 70.5% | 73.2% | 68.0% | 5.2% | |
 Saint Kitts and Nevis | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 Saint Lucia | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 Samoa | 99% | 98.9% | 99.1% | -0.2% | |
 San Marino | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 Sao Tome and Principe | 74.9% | 81.8% | 68.4% | 13.4% | |
 Saudi Arabia | 94.7% | 97.0% | 91.1% | 5.9% | |
 Senegal | 55.7% | 68.5% | 43.8% | 24.6% | |
 Serbia | 98.1% | 99.1% | 97.2% | 1.9% | |
 Seychelles | 95.2% | 94.7% | 95.7% | -1.0% | |
 Sierra Leone | 48.1% | 58.7% | 37.7% | 21.1% | |
 Singapore | 96.8% | 98.7% | 95.1% | 3.6% | |
 Slovakia | 99.6% | 99.6% | 99.6% | 0.0% | |
 Slovenia | 99.7% | 99.7% | 99.7% | 0.0% | |
 Solomon Islands | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | 84.1% (2015)[4][note 7] | |||
 Somalia | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 South Africa | 94.3% | 95.5% | 93.1% | 2.4% | |
 South Sudan | 31.9% | 38.6% | 25.3% | 13.3% | |
 Spain | 98.1% | 98.7% | 97.5% | 1.3% | |
 Sri Lanka | 92.6% | 93.6% | 91.7% | 1.9% | |
 Sudan | 75.9% | 83.3% | 68.6% | 14.6% | |
 Suriname | 95.6% | 96.1% | 95.0% | 1.1% | |
 Swaziland | 87.5% | 87.4% | 87.5% | -0.1% | |
 Sweden | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 Switzerland | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 Syria | 86.4% | 91.7% | 81.0% | 10.7% | |
 Tajikistan | 99.8% | 99.8% | 99.7% | 0.1% | |
 Tanzania, United Republic of | 80.3% | 84.8% | 75.9% | 9.0% | |
 Thailand | 96.7% | 96.6% | 96.7% | -0.1% | |
 Timor-Leste | 67.5% | 71.5% | 63.4% | 8.1% | |
 Togo | 66.5% | 78.3% | 55.3% | 23.0% | |
 Tonga | 99.4% | 99.3% | 99.4% | -0.1% | |
 Trinidad and Tobago | 99% | 99.2% | 98.7% | 0.5% | |
 Tunisia | 81.8% | 89.6% | 74.2% | 15.4% | |
 Turkey | 95% | 98.4% | 91.8% | 6.6% | |
 Turkmenistan | 99.7% | 99.8% | 99.6% | 0.1% | |
 Tuvalu | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 Uganda | 73.9% | 80.8% | 66.9% | 14.0% | |
 Ukraine | 99.8% | 99.8% | 99.7% | 0.1% | |
 United Arab Emirates | 93.8% | 93.1% | 95.8% | -2.6% | |
 United Kingdom | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 United States of America | not reported by UNESCO 2015 | ||||
 Uruguay | 98.4% | 98.1% | 98.7% | -0.6% | |
 Uzbekistan | 99.6% | 99.7% | 99.5% | 0.3% | |
 Vanuatu | 85.2% | 86.6% | 83.8% | 2.8% | |
 Venezuela | 95.4% | 95.0% | 95.7% | -0.7% | |
 Vietnam | 94.5% | 96.3% | 92.8% | 3.4% | |
 Yemen | 70.1% | 85.1% | 55.0% | 30.1% | |
 Zambia | 63.4% | 70.9% | 56.0% | 14.9% | |
 Zimbabwe | 86.5% | 88.5% | 84.6% | 4.0% | |
List of other states and territories[edit]
| Territory | Literacy rate (all) | Male literacy | Female literacy | Gender difference | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Aruba | 97.5% | 97.5% | 97.5% | 0.0% | 2015[3] | A constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. |
 Cayman Islands | 98.9% | 98.7% | 99.0% | -0.3% | 2007[3] | An overseas territory of the United Kingdom. |
| Guadeloupe | 96.5% | 96.4% | 96.6% | -0.2% | 2015[3] | Overseas region/department of France. |
 Guam | 99.8% | 99.8% | 99.8% | 0.0% | 2015[3] | The United States has sovereignty. |
 Kosovo | 91.9% | 96.6% | 87.5% | 9.1% | 2003[4] | Member of two UN specialized agencies (World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund). It is claimed by Serbia. |
 Macau | 96.2% | 98.0% | 94.6% | 3.4% | 2015[3] | A special administrative region of which China has sovereignty. |
| Martinique | 97.0% | 97.6% | 96.4% | 1.2% | 2015[3] | Overseas region/department of France. |
 New Caledonia | 96.9% | 97.3% | 96.5% | 0.8% | 2015[3] | Overseas region/department of France. |
 Palestine | 96.7% | 98.5% | 94.8% | 3.7% | 2015[3] | UN Observer State[9] |
 Puerto Rico | 93.3% | 92.8% | 93.8% | -1.0% | 2015[3] | The United States has sovereignty. |
| Réunion | 93.9% | 93.2% | 94.5% | -1.3% | 2015[3] | Overseas region/department of France. |
 Taiwan | 98.70% | 99.73% | 97.69% | 2.05% | 2017[10] | Member of one UN specialized agency (World Health Organization) as Chinese Taipei; Claimed by the People's Republic of China. |
