Literate and illiterate world population in Maldives

Maldives: Literate and illiterate world population was 1.8% in 2019. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2019)
1.8%
Change on year
down 67.4%
World rank
102nd
of 128 countries
All-time high
27.5%
in 1950
All-time low
1.4%
in 2014
Years of data
11
1950–2019

Literate and illiterate world population in Maldives, 1950–2019

01020301950198420191950: 27.5 %1977: 17.7 %1985: 7.8 %1990: 4 %1995: 3.7 %2000: 3.7 %2006: 1.6 %2014: 1.4 %2016: 2.3 %2017: 5.5 %2019: 1.8 %

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 Maldives is 1.8%, measured in 2019.

The figure is down 67.4% on the previous year and up 11.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literate and illiterate world population in Maldives peaked at 27.5% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 1.4%, in 2014.

That places Maldives 102nd out of 128 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the bottom quarter.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 27.5% 27.5% 27.5% 1
1970s 17.7% 17.7% 17.7% 1
1980s 7.8% 7.8% 7.8% 1
1990s 3.8% 3.7% 4.0% 2
2000s 2.6% 1.6% 3.7% 2
2010s 2.7% 1.4% 5.5% 4

Countries ranked near Maldives

  1. 99 Saudi Arabia 2.1% compare
  2. 100 Palestine 2.1% compare
  3. 101 Samoa 2.0% compare
  4. 103 Bulgaria 1.6% compare
  5. 104 Philippines 1.5% compare
  6. 105 Finland 1.5% compare
  7. 105 Germany 1.5% compare
  8. 105 Ireland 1.5% compare
  9. 105 Netherlands 1.5% compare
  10. 105 Sweden 1.5% compare
  11. 105 United Kingdom 1.5% compare

See the full ranking of 128 places →

More population data for Maldives

All data for Maldives →

Frequently asked questions

What is literate and illiterate world population in Maldives?
Literate and illiterate world population in Maldives was 1.8% in 2019, 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 Maldives?
The highest recorded value was 27.5% in 1950.
What is the lowest literate and illiterate world population recorded in Maldives?
The lowest recorded value was 1.4% in 2014.
How does Maldives rank for literate and illiterate world population?
Maldives ranks 102nd out of 128 countries with data for 2019.
Is literate and illiterate world population rising or falling in Maldives?
Over the last ten years it is up 11.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Maldives 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 — 11 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.