Literate and illiterate world population in Philippines

Philippines: Literate and illiterate world population was 1.5% in 2020. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2020)
1.5%
Change on year
down 58.9%
World rank
104th
of 128 countries
All-time high
51.2%
in 1939
All-time low
1.5%
in 2020
Years of data
15
1918–2020

Literate and illiterate world population in Philippines, 1918–2020

010203040501918196920201918: 50.8 %1939: 51.2 %1948: 38.7 %1950: 37.5 %1980: 16.7 %1990: 6.4 %1994: 6.1 %2000: 7.4 %2003: 7.4 %2008: 4.6 %2010: 2.9 %2013: 3.6 %2015: 1.8 %2019: 3.7 %2020: 1.5 %

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

Analysis

Philippines recorded 1.5% for literate and illiterate world population in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 58.9% on the previous year and down 47.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literate and illiterate world population in Philippines peaked at 51.2% in 1939 and was at its lowest, 1.5%, in 2020.

Philippines ranks 104th of 128 countries on this measure, 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
1910s 50.8% 50.8% 50.8% 1
1930s 51.2% 51.2% 51.2% 1
1940s 38.7% 38.7% 38.7% 1
1950s 37.5% 37.5% 37.5% 1
1980s 16.7% 16.7% 16.7% 1
1990s 6.3% 6.1% 6.4% 2
2000s 6.5% 4.6% 7.4% 3
2010s 3.0% 1.8% 3.7% 4
2020s 1.5% 1.5% 1.5% 1

Countries ranked near Philippines

  1. 101 Samoa 2.0% compare
  2. 102 Maldives 1.8% compare
  3. 103 Bulgaria 1.6% compare
  4. 105 Finland 1.5% compare
  5. 105 Germany 1.5% compare
  6. 105 Ireland 1.5% compare
  7. 105 Netherlands 1.5% compare
  8. 105 Sweden 1.5% compare
  9. 105 United Kingdom 1.5% compare

See the full ranking of 128 places →

More population data for Philippines

All data for Philippines →

Frequently asked questions

What is literate and illiterate world population in Philippines?
Literate and illiterate world population in Philippines was 1.5% 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 Philippines?
The highest recorded value was 51.2% in 1939.
What is the lowest literate and illiterate world population recorded in Philippines?
The lowest recorded value was 1.5% in 2020.
How does Philippines rank for literate and illiterate world population?
Philippines ranks 104th out of 128 countries with data for 2020.
Is literate and illiterate world population rising or falling in Philippines?
Over the last ten years it is down 47.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Philippines 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 — 15 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.