Literate and illiterate world population in El Salvador

El Salvador: Literate and illiterate world population was 10.2% in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
10.2%
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
54th
of 128 countries
All-time high
62.5%
in 1950
All-time low
10.0%
in 2020
Years of data
21
1950–2024

Literate and illiterate world population in El Salvador, 1950–2024

2040601950198720241950: 62.5 %1992: 25.9 %2006: 16.4 %2007: 18 %2008: 16.1 %2009: 15.9 %2010: 15.5 %2011: 14.5 %2012: 14.5 %2013: 13.2 %2014: 12.6 %2015: 12 %2016: 11.9 %2017: 11.5 %2018: 11 %2019: 10.9 %2020: 10 %2021: 10.9 %2022: 10.6 %2023: 10.2 %2024: 10.2 %

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

Analysis

El Salvador recorded 10.2% for literate and illiterate world population in 2024.

The figure is up 0.8% on the previous year and down 18.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literate and illiterate world population in El Salvador peaked at 62.5% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 10.0%, in 2020.

That places El Salvador 54th 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
1950s 62.5% 62.5% 62.5% 1
1990s 25.9% 25.9% 25.9% 1
2000s 16.6% 15.9% 18.0% 4
2010s 12.8% 10.9% 15.5% 10
2020s 10.4% 10.0% 10.9% 5

Countries ranked near El Salvador

  1. 51 Honduras 11.8% compare
  2. 52 Cape Verde 11.5% compare
  3. 53 Iran 11.1% compare
  4. 55 Lesotho 9.6% compare
  5. 56 Eswatini 9.2% compare
  6. 57 Thailand 8.9% compare

See the full ranking of 128 places →

More population data for El Salvador

All data for El Salvador →

Frequently asked questions

What is literate and illiterate world population in El Salvador?
Literate and illiterate world population in El Salvador was 10.2% 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 El Salvador?
The highest recorded value was 62.5% in 1950.
What is the lowest literate and illiterate world population recorded in El Salvador?
The lowest recorded value was 10.0% in 2020.
How does El Salvador rank for literate and illiterate world population?
El Salvador ranks 54th out of 128 countries with data for 2024.
Is literate and illiterate world population rising or falling in El Salvador?
Over the last ten years it is down 18.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this El Salvador 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.