Panama vs United States: Literate and illiterate world population

Panama

3.8%

in 2024

United States

3.5%

in 1950

Panama rank

82nd

United States rank

85th

Literate and illiterate world population over time

Panama currently reports 3.8% against 3.5% in United States, a difference of 0.3%.

That makes Panama's figure about 1.1 times United States's.

Globally, Panama ranks 82nd and United States ranks 85th of 128 countries.

Indicator: Literate and illiterate world population
Unit: %
Source: UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 128 places, 1,272 data points, 1475–2024
Last refreshed: 06 August 2026

Share of adults who cannot read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life.