India vs Rwanda: Literate and illiterate world population
India
21.8%
in 2024
Rwanda
21.2%
in 2022
India rank
37th
Rwanda rank
39th
Literate and illiterate world population over time
- India
- Rwanda
How they compare
India currently reports 21.8% against 21.2% in Rwanda, a difference of 0.6%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 6 shared years of data; in 1950 it was Rwanda ahead.
India ranks 37th and Rwanda ranks 39th of 128 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, India averaged higher in 2 and Rwanda in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | India | Rwanda | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 82.5% | 92.5% | 10.0% | Rwanda |
| 1990s | 51.8% | 42.1% | 9.6% | India |
| 2010s | 28.2% | 29.2% | 1.0% | Rwanda |
| 2020s | 24.1% | 20.6% | 3.5% | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher literate and illiterate world population, India or Rwanda?
- India, at 21.8% against 21.2% in Rwanda as of 2024.
- What is the difference in literate and illiterate world population between India and Rwanda?
- 0.6%, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for India and Rwanda?
- 6 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2022.
- How do India and Rwanda rank globally for literate and illiterate world population?
- India ranks 37th and Rwanda ranks 39th of 128 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Literate and illiterate world population. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of adults who cannot read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life.