Literate and illiterate world population in Colombia

Colombia: Literate and illiterate world population was 4.7% in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
4.7%
Change on year
up 2.6%
World rank
76th
of 128 countries
All-time high
57.6%
in 1918
All-time low
4.3%
in 2021
Years of data
25
1918–2024

Literate and illiterate world population in Colombia, 1918–2024

02040601918197120241918: 57.6 %1928: 48.4 %1938: 44.2 %1950: 47.5 %1993: 8.9 %1996: 8.8 %2004: 7.2 %2005: 7.2 %2006: 7.7 %2007: 7.3 %2008: 6.6 %2009: 6.8 %2010: 6.6 %2011: 6.4 %2014: 5.8 %2015: 5.8 %2016: 5.3 %2017: 5.1 %2018: 4.9 %2019: 4.8 %2020: 4.4 %2021: 4.3 %2022: 4.7 %2023: 4.5 %2024: 4.7 %

Source: UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Colombia recorded 4.7% for literate and illiterate world population in 2024.

The figure is up 2.6% on the previous year and down 19.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literate and illiterate world population in Colombia peaked at 57.6% in 1918 and was at its lowest, 4.3%, in 2021.

That places Colombia 76th out of 128 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1910s 57.6% 57.6% 57.6% 1
1920s 48.4% 48.4% 48.4% 1
1930s 44.2% 44.2% 44.2% 1
1950s 47.5% 47.5% 47.5% 1
1990s 8.9% 8.8% 8.9% 2
2000s 7.1% 6.6% 7.7% 6
2010s 5.6% 4.8% 6.6% 8
2020s 4.5% 4.3% 4.7% 5

Countries ranked near Colombia

  1. 73 Portugal 5.5% compare
  2. 74 Brazil 5.3% compare
  3. 75 Paraguay 5.1% compare
  4. 77 Mexico 4.5% compare
  5. 78 Malaysia 4.2% compare
  6. 79 Indonesia 4.0% compare

See the full ranking of 128 places →

More population data for Colombia

All data for Colombia →

Frequently asked questions

What is literate and illiterate world population in Colombia?
Literate and illiterate world population in Colombia was 4.7% in 2024, according to UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest literate and illiterate world population recorded in Colombia?
The highest recorded value was 57.6% in 1918.
What is the lowest literate and illiterate world population recorded in Colombia?
The lowest recorded value was 4.3% in 2021.
How does Colombia rank for literate and illiterate world population?
Colombia ranks 76th out of 128 countries with data for 2024.
Is literate and illiterate world population rising or falling in Colombia?
Over the last ten years it is down 19.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Colombia data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Literate and illiterate world population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

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

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