Literate and illiterate world population by country
Share of adults who cannot read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life.
Countries reporting
128
Highest
69.4%
Chad
Lowest
0.0%
Uzbekistan
Median
6.5%
Years covered
550
1475–2024
Data points
1,272
What the numbers show
Literate and illiterate world population is currently reported for 128 countries. The highest value is 69.4% in Chad; the lowest is 0.0% in Uzbekistan.
The median across all reporting countries is 6.5%, and the mean is 15.2%.
Over the past decade 21 countries rose and 88 fell. The largest increase was in Cuba (up 612.1%), and the largest decrease in Uzbekistan (down 100.0%).
Literate and illiterate world population: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chad | 69.4% | 2019 | down 3.1% | falling |
| 2 | Niger | 64.4% | 2022 | down 7.3% | falling |
| 3 | Mali | 64.4% | 2024 | down 3.8% | falling |
| 4 | Afghanistan | 62.7% | 2021 | down 8.5% | falling |
| 5 | Guinea | 60.4% | 2018 | down 19.2% | falling |
| 6 | Burkina Faso | 58.4% | 2023 | down 10.7% | falling |
| 7 | Central African Republic | 57.6% | 2019 | — | falling |
| 8 | Sierra Leone | 56.4% | 2019 | down 13.4% | falling |
| 9 | Cote d'Ivoire | 50.0% | 2021 | down 10.9% | falling |
| 10 | Senegal | 49.6% | 2023 | down 12.1% | falling |
| 11 | Benin | 48.6% | 2022 | down 12.1% | falling |
| 12 | Gambia | 48.4% | 2021 | down 1.7% | falling |
| 13 | Pakistan | 41.1% | 2021 | down 9.1% | falling |
| 14 | Ethiopia | 39.5% | 2022 | down 23.4% | falling |
| 15 | Mozambique | 38.3% | 2022 | down 22.4% | falling |
| 16 | Guinea-Bissau | 36.1% | 2022 | — | falling |
| 17 | Morocco | 35.7% | 2014 | down 25.1% | falling |
| 18 | Bhutan | 35.1% | 2022 | down 21.5% | falling |
| 19 | Haiti | 32.0% | 2017 | down 22.5% | falling |
| 20 | Angola | 31.8% | 2023 | down 6.3% | volatile |
| 21 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 31.5% | 2023 | up 26.1% | falling |
| 22 | Nepal | 31.3% | 2019 | down 29.6% | falling |
| 23 | East Timor | 30.6% | 2022 | down 26.6% | falling |
| 24 | Malawi | 29.9% | 2020 | — | volatile |
| 25 | Nigeria | 29.6% | 2024 | down 29.2% | falling |
| 26 | Burundi | 28.7% | 2020 | down 44.8% | falling |
| 27 | Zambia | 28.2% | 2024 | up 67.4% | volatile |
| 28 | Cambodia | 28.1% | 2021 | up 17.6% | volatile |
| 29 | Cameroon | 27.4% | 2018 | down 6.4% | volatile |
| 30 | Togo | 27.4% | 2022 | down 30.8% | falling |
| 31 | Madagascar | 25.3% | 2021 | down 11.0% | falling |
| 32 | Algeria | 24.9% | 2008 | down 17.5% | volatile |
| 33 | Comoros | 24.4% | 2021 | down 7.5% | falling |
| 34 | Laos | 24.4% | 2023 | up 58.8% | volatile |
| 35 | Ghana | 23.5% | 2021 | down 17.5% | falling |
| 36 | Uganda | 23.0% | 2024 | down 27.1% | falling |
| 37 | India | 21.8% | 2024 | down 27.6% | volatile |
| 38 | Tanzania | 21.8% | 2022 | down 0.5% | volatile |
| 39 | Rwanda | 21.2% | 2022 | down 32.9% | volatile |
| 40 | Bangladesh | 21.0% | 2022 | down 50.2% | falling |
| 41 | Egypt | 20.5% | 2022 | down 21.4% | volatile |
| 42 | Guatemala | 17.9% | 2024 | down 4.4% | volatile |
| 43 | Iraq | 15.9% | 2021 | down 30.1% | volatile |
| 44 | Tunisia | 13.8% | 2023 | down 30.5% | volatile |
| 45 | Papua New Guinea | 13.0% | 2022 | down 58.1% | volatile |
| 46 | Nicaragua | 12.7% | 2014 | down 42.4% | volatile |
| 47 | Sao Tome and Principe | 12.6% | 2019 | up 27.4% | volatile |
| 48 | Namibia | 12.4% | 2023 | up 5.4% | falling |
| 49 | Belize | 12.1% | 2022 | up 33.5% | falling |
| 50 | Vanuatu | 12.0% | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 51 | Honduras | 11.8% | 2024 | down 8.2% | volatile |
| 52 | Cape Verde | 11.5% | 2024 | down 12.7% | volatile |
| 53 | Iran | 11.1% | 2023 | down 27.9% | volatile |
| 54 | El Salvador | 10.2% | 2024 | down 18.7% | volatile |
| 55 | Lesotho | 9.6% | 2024 | up 249.8% | volatile |
| 56 | Eswatini | 9.2% | 2022 | — | volatile |
| 57 | Thailand | 8.9% | 2022 | up 41.3% | volatile |
| 58 | South Africa | 8.8% | 2024 | up 51.0% | volatile |
| 59 | Lebanon | 8.0% | 2019 | down 9.4% | volatile |
| 60 | Puerto Rico | 7.6% | 2017 | down 5.2% | volatile |
| 61 | Sri Lanka | 7.3% | 2024 | down 2.8% | volatile |
| 62 | Suriname | 7.1% | 2012 | down 31.4% | volatile |
| 63 | Malta | 6.7% | 2011 | down 12.4% | volatile |
| 64 | Ecuador | 6.5% | 2024 | up 12.6% | volatile |
| 65 | Myanmar | 6.5% | 2020 | down 32.9% | volatile |
| 66 | Peru | 6.3% | 2024 | up 0.8% | volatile |
| 67 | Greece | 6.1% | 2009 | up 51.9% | volatile |
| 68 | Seychelles | 6.0% | 2010 | down 25.9% | volatile |
| 69 | Dominican Republic | 6.0% | 2024 | down 27.5% | volatile |
| 70 | Mauritius | 5.7% | 2023 | down 32.9% | volatile |
| 71 | Syria | 5.6% | 2021 | — | volatile |
| 72 | Jordan | 5.6% | 2024 | up 163.5% | volatile |
| 73 | Portugal | 5.5% | 2011 | — | volatile |
| 74 | Brazil | 5.3% | 2024 | down 36.4% | volatile |
| 75 | Paraguay | 5.1% | 2024 | up 3.4% | volatile |
| 76 | Colombia | 4.7% | 2024 | down 19.8% | volatile |
| 77 | Mexico | 4.5% | 2024 | down 18.2% | volatile |
| 78 | Malaysia | 4.2% | 2022 | down 38.5% | volatile |
| 79 | Indonesia | 4.0% | 2020 | down 47.9% | volatile |
| 80 | Brunei | 3.9% | 2011 | down 46.7% | volatile |
| 81 | Vietnam | 3.9% | 2022 | down 40.3% | volatile |
| 82 | Panama | 3.8% | 2024 | down 36.2% | volatile |
| 83 | Chile | 3.6% | 2017 | up 9.1% | volatile |
| 84 | Kuwait | 3.5% | 2020 | down 36.0% | volatile |
| 85 | Belgium | 3.5% | 1950 | — | volatile |
| 85 | France | 3.5% | 1950 | down 12.5% | volatile |
| 85 | United States | 3.5% | 1950 | up 20.7% | falling |
| 88 | Macao | 3.5% | 2016 | down 46.8% | volatile |
| 89 | Bolivia | 3.3% | 2024 | down 56.6% | volatile |
| 90 | China | 3.3% | 2020 | down 33.2% | volatile |
| 91 | Venezuela | 2.8% | 2017 | down 41.9% | volatile |
| 92 | Turkey | 2.7% | 2021 | down 53.5% | volatile |
| 93 | Oman | 2.7% | 2022 | down 79.6% | volatile |
| 94 | Canada | 2.5% | 1950 | — | volatile |
| 95 | Cuba | 2.4% | 2019 | up 612.1% | volatile |
| 95 | Singapore | 2.4% | 2021 | down 38.3% | volatile |
| 97 | Albania | 2.3% | 2023 | down 15.6% | volatile |
| 98 | Bahrain | 2.2% | 2024 | — | volatile |
| 99 | Saudi Arabia | 2.1% | 2024 | down 62.8% | volatile |
| 100 | Palestine | 2.1% | 2024 | down 45.6% | volatile |
| 101 | Samoa | 2.0% | 2019 | up 95.1% | volatile |
| 102 | Maldives | 1.8% | 2019 | up 11.9% | volatile |
| 103 | Bulgaria | 1.6% | 2011 | down 8.3% | volatile |
| 104 | Philippines | 1.5% | 2020 | down 47.4% | volatile |
| 105 | Germany | 1.5% | 1950 | — | volatile |
| 105 | Finland | 1.5% | 1950 | — | volatile |
| 105 | United Kingdom | 1.5% | 1950 | — | volatile |
| 105 | Ireland | 1.5% | 1950 | — | volatile |
| 105 | Netherlands | 1.5% | 1950 | — | volatile |
| 105 | Sweden | 1.5% | 1950 | — | volatile |
| 111 | Montenegro | 1.5% | 2018 | down 5.8% | volatile |
| 112 | Mongolia | 1.4% | 2024 | down 21.8% | volatile |
| 113 | Poland | 1.3% | 1978 | — | volatile |
| 114 | United Arab Emirates | 1.2% | 2024 | down 46.4% | volatile |
| 115 | Hungary | 1.1% | 1980 | — | volatile |
| 116 | Uruguay | 1.1% | 2024 | down 30.1% | volatile |
| 117 | Argentina | 0.9% | 2020 | — | volatile |
| 118 | Romania | 0.8% | 2021 | down 40.0% | volatile |
| 119 | Qatar | 0.7% | 2024 | down 69.8% | volatile |
| 120 | Serbia | 0.7% | 2022 | down 67.6% | volatile |
| 121 | Italy | 0.7% | 2019 | down 43.5% | volatile |
| 122 | Tonga | 0.5% | 2023 | down 14.8% | volatile |
| 123 | Georgia | 0.3% | 2024 | down 22.0% | volatile |
| 124 | Spain | 0.3% | 2021 | down 86.5% | volatile |
| 125 | Tajikistan | 0.3% | 2009 | down 50.9% | volatile |
| 126 | Azerbaijan | 0.2% | 2023 | up 4.8% | volatile |
| 127 | Armenia | 0.2% | 2023 | down 38.5% | volatile |
| 128 | Uzbekistan | 0.0% | 2022 | down 100.0% | volatile |
About this data
Share of adults who cannot read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life.