Literate and illiterate world population in Kuwait

Kuwait: Literate and illiterate world population was 3.5% in 2020. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2020)
3.5%
Change on year
down 10.2%
World rank
84th
of 128 countries
All-time high
82.5%
in 1950
All-time low
3.5%
in 2020
Years of data
16
1950–2020

Literate and illiterate world population in Kuwait, 1950–2020

0204060801950198520201950: 82.5 %1975: 40.4 %1980: 32.5 %1985: 25.5 %1995: 21.6 %2005: 6.7 %2006: 6.7 %2007: 6.3 %2008: 6.1 %2010: 5.5 %2012: 4.5 %2013: 4.4 %2015: 4.3 %2017: 4 %2018: 3.9 %2020: 3.5 %

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for literate and illiterate world population in Kuwait is 3.5%, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 16 years on record.

That represents a change of down 10.2% on the previous year and down 36.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literate and illiterate world population in Kuwait peaked at 82.5% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 3.5%, in 2020.

That places Kuwait 84th out of 128 countries with data for 2020, 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 82.5% 82.5% 82.5% 1
1970s 40.4% 40.4% 40.4% 1
1980s 29.0% 25.5% 32.5% 2
1990s 21.6% 21.6% 21.6% 1
2000s 6.5% 6.1% 6.7% 4
2010s 4.4% 3.9% 5.5% 6
2020s 3.5% 3.5% 3.5% 1

Countries ranked near Kuwait

  1. 81 Vietnam 3.9% compare
  2. 82 Panama 3.8% compare
  3. 83 Chile 3.6% compare
  4. 85 Belgium 3.5% compare
  5. 85 France 3.5% compare
  6. 85 United States 3.5% compare

See the full ranking of 128 places →

More population data for Kuwait

All data for Kuwait →

Frequently asked questions

What is literate and illiterate world population in Kuwait?
Literate and illiterate world population in Kuwait was 3.5% in 2020, 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 Kuwait?
The highest recorded value was 82.5% in 1950.
What is the lowest literate and illiterate world population recorded in Kuwait?
The lowest recorded value was 3.5% in 2020.
How does Kuwait rank for literate and illiterate world population?
Kuwait ranks 84th out of 128 countries with data for 2020.
Is literate and illiterate world population rising or falling in Kuwait?
Over the last ten years it is down 36.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Kuwait 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.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 16 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

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.