Social indicators

Indicators on literacy
Last update: December 2008
Country or area
Year
Afghanistan 2000    
28
 
43
 
13
 
34
 
51
 
18
 
Albania 2007   a
99
 
99
 
99
 
99
 
99
 
99
 
Algeria 2007   a
75
 
84
 
66
 
92
 
94
 
91
 
Angola 2001    
67
 
83
 
54
 
72
 
84
 
63
 
Argentina 2007   a
98
 
98
 
98
 
99
 
99
 
99
 
Armenia 2007   a
99
 
100
 
99
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
Aruba 2007   a
98
 
98
 
98
 
99
 
99
 
99
 
Azerbaijan 2007   a
99
 
100
 
99
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
Bahrain 2007   a
89
 
90
 
86
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
Bangladesh 2007   a
53
 
59
 
48
 
72
 
71
 
73
 
Belarus 2007   a
100
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
Benin 2007   a
41
 
53
 
28
 
52
 
63
 
41
 
Bhutan 2007   a
56
 
67
 
42
 
78
 
83
 
73
 
Bolivia 2007   a
90
 
95
 
85
 
98
 
99
 
98
 
Bosnia and Herzegovina 2000    
97
 
99
 
94
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
Botswana 2007   a
83
 
83
 
83
 
94
 
93
 
95
 
Brazil 2007   a
91
 
90
 
91
 
98
 
97
 
99
 
Brunei Darussalam 2007   a
95
 
96
 
93
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
Bulgaria 2007   a
98
 
99
 
98
 
97
 
98
 
97
 
Burkina Faso 2007    
29
 
37
 
22
 
39
 
47
 
33
 
Burundi 2000    
59
 
67
 
52
 
73
 
77
 
70
 
Cambodia 2007   a
76
 
86
 
68
 
86
 
90
 
83
 
Cameroon 2001    
68
 
77
 
60
 
...
 
...
 
...
 
Cape Verde 2007   a
84
 
89
 
79
 
97
 
97
 
98
 
Central African Republic 2000    
49
 
65
 
33
 
59
 
70
 
47
 
Chad 2000    
26
 
41
 
13
 
38
 
56
 
23
 
Chile 2007   a
97
 
97
 
96
 
99
 
99
 
99
 
China, Macao SAR 2007   a
93
 
96
 
90
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
China 2007   a
93
 
96
 
90
 
99
 
99
 
99
 
Colombia 2007   a
94
 
94
 
93
 
98
 
98
 
98
 
Comoros 2007   a
75
 
80
 
70
 
89
 
92
 
87
 
Congo 2007   a
87
 
92
 
82
 
98
 
99
 
98
 
Costa Rica 2007   a
96
 
96
 
96
 
98
 
98
 
98
 
Côte d'Ivoire 2000    
49
 
61
 
39
 
61
 
71
 
52
 
Croatia 2007   a
99
 
99
 
98
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
Cuba 2007   a
100
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
Cyprus 2007   a
98
 
99
 
97
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
Democratic Republic of the Congo 2001    
67
 
81
 
54
 
70
 
78
 
63
 
Dominican Republic 2007   a
89
 
89
 
90
 
96
 
95
 
97
 
Ecuador 2007   a
93
 
94
 
92
 
96
 
96
 
97
 
Egypt 2007   a
72
 
84
 
61
 
86
 
90
 
82
 
El Salvador 2007   a
85
 
88
 
83
 
95
 
95
 
96
 
Equatorial Guinea 2000    
87
 
93
 
80
 
95
 
95
 
95
 
Estonia 2007   a
100
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
Ethiopia 2004    
36
 
50
 
23
 
50
 
62
 
39
 
Gabon 2007   a
86
 
90
 
82
 
97
 
98
 
96
 
Ghana 2007   a
65
 
72
 
58
 
78
 
80
 
76
 
Greece 2007   a
97
 
98
 
96
 
99
 
99
 
99
 
Guatemala 2007   a
73
 
79
 
68
 
85
 
88
 
83
 
Guinea-Bissau 2007   a
65
 
75
 
54
 
91
 
94
 
87
 
Guinea 2003    
29
 
43
 
18
 
47
 
59
 
34
 
Haiti 2007   a
62
 
60
 
64
 
82
 
76
 
87
 
Honduras 2007   a
83
 
82
 
84
 
90
 
88
 
93
 
Hungary 2007   a
99
 
99
 
99
 
99
 
98
 
99
 
India 2007   a
66
 
77
 
54
 
82
 
87
 
77
 
Indonesia 2007   a
91
 
95
 
88
 
99
 
99
 
99
 
Iran, Islamic Republic of 2007   a
85
 
90
 
79
 
98
 
98
 
97
 
Iraq 2000    
74
 
84
 
64
 
85
 
89
 
80
 
Italy 2007   a
99
 
99
 
99
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
Jamaica 2007   a
86
 
81
 
91
 
94
 
91
 
98
 
Jordan 2007   a
93
 
97
 
89
 
99
 
99
 
99
 
Kazakhstan 2007   a
100
 
100
 
99
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
Kenya 2000    
74
 
78
 
70
 
80
 
80
 
81
 
Kuwait 2007   a
94
 
95
 
92
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
Kyrgyzstan 2007   a
99
 
100
 
99
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
Lao People's Democratic Republic 2007   a
73
 
80
 
67
 
83
 
85
 
80
 
Latvia 2007   a
100
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
Lesotho 2001    
82
 
74
 
90
 
...
 
...
 
...
 
Liberia 2007   a
56
 
60
 
51
 
72
 
68
 
76
 
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 2007   a
87
 
94
 
78
 
99
 
100
 
98
 
Lithuania 2007   a
100
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
Madagascar 2000    
71
 
77
 
65
 
70
 
73
 
68
 
Malawi 2007   a
72
 
79
 
65
 
83
 
84
 
82
 
Malaysia 2007   a
92
 
94
 
90
 
98
 
98
 
98
 
Maldives 2007   a
97
 
97
 
97
 
98
 
98
 
98
 
Mali 2007   a
23
 
31
 
16
 
29
 
36
 
23
 
Malta 2007   a
92
 
90
 
93
 
98
 
96
 
99
 
Mauritania 2007   a
56
 
63
 
48
 
66
 
70
 
62
 
Mauritius 2007   a
87
 
90
 
85
 
96
 
95
 
97
 
Mexico 2007   a
92
 
94
 
91
 
98
 
98
 
98
 
Mongolia 2007   a
97
 
97
 
98
 
95
 
94
 
97
 
Morocco 2007   a
56
 
69
 
43
 
75
 
84
 
67
 
Mozambique 2007   a
44
 
57
 
33
 
53
 
58
 
47
 
Myanmar 2000    
90
 
94
 
86
 
95
 
96
 
93
 
Namibia 2007   a
88
 
89
 
87
 
93
 
91
 
94
 
Nepal 2007   a
57
 
70
 
44
 
79
 
85
 
73
 
Netherlands Antilles 2007   a
96
 
96
 
96
 
98
 
98
 
98
 
Nicaragua 2007   a
81
 
80
 
81
 
89
 
85
 
92
 
Niger 2007   a
30
 
44
 
16
 
39
 
53
 
26
 
Nigeria 2007   a
72
 
80
 
64
 
87
 
89
 
85
 
Occupied Palestinian Territory 2007   a
93
 
97
 
89
 
99
 
99
 
99
 
Oman 2007   a
84
 
89
 
77
 
98
 
99
 
98
 
Pakistan 2007   a
55
 
69
 
40
 
70
 
79
 
60
 
Panama 2007   a
93
 
94
 
93
 
96
 
97
 
96
 
Papua New Guinea 2007   a
58
 
62
 
53
 
64
 
63
 
65
 
Paraguay 2007   a
94
 
94
 
93
 
96
 
96
 
97
 
Peru 2007   a
90
 
95
 
86
 
98
 
99
 
97
 
Philippines 2007   a
93
 
93
 
94
 
94
 
94
 
95
 
Poland 2007   a
99
 
100
 
99
 
99
 
100
 
99
 
Portugal 2007   a
95
 
97
 
93
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
Qatar 2007   a
90
 
90
 
90
 
98
 
97
 
98
 
Republic of Moldova 2007   a
99
 
100
 
99
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
Romania 2007   a
98
 
98
 
97
 
97
 
97
 
98
 
Russian Federation 2007   a
100
 
100
 
99
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
Rwanda 2000    
65
 
71
 
60
 
78
 
79
 
77
 
Samoa 2007   a
99
 
99
 
98
 
99
 
99
 
99
 
Sao Tome and Principe 2007   a
88
 
93
 
83
 
95
 
95
 
95
 
Saudi Arabia 2007   a
85
 
89
 
79
 
97
 
98
 
96
 
Senegal 2007   a
43
 
53
 
32
 
51
 
59
 
44
 
Seychelles 2002    
92
 
91
 
92
 
99
 
99
 
99
 
Sierra Leone 2007   a
38
 
50
 
27
 
54
 
64
 
44
 
Singapore 2007   a
94
 
97
 
92
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
Slovenia 2007   a
100
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
South Africa 2007   a
88
 
89
 
87
 
95
 
95
 
96
 
Spain 2007   a
97
 
99
 
96
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
Sri Lanka 2007   a
92
 
93
 
90
 
98
 
97
 
98
 
Sudan 2000    
61
 
71
 
52
 
77
 
85
 
71
 
Suriname 2007   a
90
 
93
 
88
 
95
 
96
 
95
 
Swaziland 2000    
80
 
81
 
78
 
88
 
87
 
90
 
Syrian Arab Republic 2007   a
83
 
90
 
76
 
94
 
95
 
92
 
Tajikistan 2007   a
100
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
Thailand 2007   a
94
 
96
 
93
 
98
 
98
 
98
 
The Former Yugoslav Rep. of Macedonia 2007   a
97
 
99
 
95
 
99
 
99
 
99
 
Togo 2000    
53
 
69
 
38
 
74
 
84
 
64
 
Tonga 2007   a
99
 
99
 
99
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
Trinidad and Tobago 2007   a
99
 
99
 
98
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
Tunisia 2007   a
78
 
86
 
69
 
96
 
97
 
94
 
Turkey 2007   a
89
 
96
 
81
 
96
 
98
 
94
 
Turkmenistan 2007   a
100
 
100
 
99
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
Uganda 2007   a
74
 
82
 
66
 
86
 
88
 
84
 
Ukraine 2007   a
100
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
100
 
United Arab Emirates 2007   a
90
 
91
 
89
 
98
 
99
 
96
 
United Republic of Tanzania 2007   a
72
 
79
 
66
 
78
 
79
 
76
 
Uruguay 2007   a
98
 
98
 
98
 
99
 
98
 
99
 
Uzbekistan 2000    
97
 
98
 
96
 
99
 
99
 
99
 
Vanuatu 2007   a
78
 
80
 
76
 
92
 
92
 
92
 
Venezuela 2001    
93
 
93
 
93
 
97
 
96
 
98
 
Yemen 2007   a
59
 
77
 
40
 
80
 
93
 
67
 
Zimbabwe 2007   a
91
 
94
 
88
 
98
 
98
 
99
 

Sources:

UNESCO Institute for Statistics, National literacy rates for youths (15-24) and adults (15+), available from UIS website, http://www.uis.unesco.org (accessed December 2008).

Footnotes:

...
Not available.
a
UIS estimation.

Top

Technical notes:

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) defines a literate person as someone who can both read and write with understanding, a short, simple statement on his or her everyday life. A person who can only read but not write, or can write but not read is considered to be illiterate. A person who can only write figures, his or her name or a memorized ritual phrase is also not considered literate.

This definition of literacy is widely used in national population censuses and surveys but its interpretation and application may vary to some extent among countries, depending on national, social and cultural circumstances. Furthermore, this concept of literacy includes persons who, though familiar with the basics of reading and writing, might still be considered functionally illiterate.

For many countries or areas, literacy rates are not available for one or more of the following reasons: (a) illiteracy is believed to have been reduced to minimal levels through several decades of universal primary education, (b) it has not been possible to establish revised estimates following recent mass literacy campaigns, (c) not even a minimal database is available for making rough estimates, or (d) countries have preferred that no estimate be published.