Literate and illiterate world population by country
Countries reporting
128
Highest
69.37
Chad
Lowest
0
Uzbekistan
Median
6.49
Years covered
550
1475–2024
Data points
1,272
What the numbers show
Literate and illiterate world population is currently reported for 128 countries. The highest value is 69.37 in Chad; the lowest is 0 in Uzbekistan.
The median across all reporting countries is 6.49, and the mean is 15.19.
Over the past decade 21 countries rose and 88 fell. The largest increase was in Cuba (up 612.1%), and the largest decrease in Uzbekistan (down 100.0%).
Literate and illiterate world population: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chad | 69.37 | 2019 | down 3.1% | falling |
| 2 | Niger | 64.39 | 2022 | down 7.3% | falling |
| 3 | Mali | 64.37 | 2024 | down 3.8% | falling |
| 4 | Afghanistan | 62.73 | 2021 | down 8.5% | falling |
| 5 | Guinea | 60.38 | 2018 | down 19.2% | falling |
| 6 | Burkina Faso | 58.43 | 2023 | down 10.7% | falling |
| 7 | Central African Republic | 57.56 | 2019 | — | falling |
| 8 | Sierra Leone | 56.42 | 2019 | down 13.4% | falling |
| 9 | Cote d'Ivoire | 50 | 2021 | down 10.9% | falling |
| 10 | Senegal | 49.64 | 2023 | down 12.1% | falling |
| 11 | Benin | 48.62 | 2022 | down 12.1% | falling |
| 12 | Gambia | 48.36 | 2021 | down 1.7% | falling |
| 13 | Pakistan | 41.14 | 2021 | down 9.1% | falling |
| 14 | Ethiopia | 39.54 | 2022 | down 23.4% | falling |
| 15 | Mozambique | 38.33 | 2022 | down 22.4% | falling |
| 16 | Guinea-Bissau | 36.07 | 2022 | — | falling |
| 17 | Morocco | 35.74 | 2014 | down 25.1% | falling |
| 18 | Bhutan | 35.09 | 2022 | down 21.5% | falling |
| 19 | Haiti | 31.99 | 2017 | down 22.5% | falling |
| 20 | Angola | 31.82 | 2023 | down 6.3% | volatile |
| 21 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 31.5 | 2023 | up 26.1% | falling |
| 22 | Nepal | 31.29 | 2019 | down 29.6% | falling |
| 23 | East Timor | 30.6 | 2022 | down 26.6% | falling |
| 24 | Malawi | 29.85 | 2020 | — | volatile |
| 25 | Nigeria | 29.59 | 2024 | down 29.2% | falling |
| 26 | Burundi | 28.66 | 2020 | down 44.8% | falling |
| 27 | Zambia | 28.23 | 2024 | up 67.4% | volatile |
| 28 | Cambodia | 28.07 | 2021 | up 17.6% | volatile |
| 29 | Cameroon | 27.45 | 2018 | down 6.4% | volatile |
| 30 | Togo | 27.4 | 2022 | down 30.8% | falling |
| 31 | Madagascar | 25.31 | 2021 | down 11.0% | falling |
| 32 | Algeria | 24.86 | 2008 | down 17.5% | volatile |
| 33 | Comoros | 24.38 | 2021 | down 7.5% | falling |
| 34 | Laos | 24.36 | 2023 | up 58.8% | volatile |
| 35 | Ghana | 23.51 | 2021 | down 17.5% | falling |
| 36 | Uganda | 22.96 | 2024 | down 27.1% | falling |
| 37 | India | 21.84 | 2024 | down 27.6% | volatile |
| 38 | Tanzania | 21.79 | 2022 | down 0.5% | volatile |
| 39 | Rwanda | 21.24 | 2022 | down 32.9% | volatile |
| 40 | Bangladesh | 21 | 2022 | down 50.2% | falling |
| 41 | Egypt | 20.55 | 2022 | down 21.4% | volatile |
| 42 | Guatemala | 17.89 | 2024 | down 4.4% | volatile |
| 43 | Iraq | 15.94 | 2021 | down 30.1% | volatile |
| 44 | Tunisia | 13.75 | 2023 | down 30.5% | volatile |
| 45 | Papua New Guinea | 13 | 2022 | down 58.1% | volatile |
| 46 | Nicaragua | 12.67 | 2014 | down 42.4% | volatile |
| 47 | Sao Tome and Principe | 12.56 | 2019 | up 27.4% | volatile |
| 48 | Namibia | 12.36 | 2023 | up 5.4% | falling |
| 49 | Belize | 12.12 | 2022 | up 33.5% | falling |
| 50 | Vanuatu | 12.04 | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 51 | Honduras | 11.75 | 2024 | down 8.2% | volatile |
| 52 | Cape Verde | 11.53 | 2024 | down 12.7% | volatile |
| 53 | Iran | 11.08 | 2023 | down 27.9% | volatile |
| 54 | El Salvador | 10.23 | 2024 | down 18.7% | volatile |
| 55 | Lesotho | 9.55 | 2024 | up 249.8% | volatile |
| 56 | Eswatini | 9.25 | 2022 | — | volatile |
| 57 | Thailand | 8.9 | 2022 | up 41.3% | volatile |
| 58 | South Africa | 8.85 | 2024 | up 51.0% | volatile |
| 59 | Lebanon | 7.99 | 2019 | down 9.4% | volatile |
| 60 | Puerto Rico | 7.61 | 2017 | down 5.2% | volatile |
| 61 | Sri Lanka | 7.26 | 2024 | down 2.8% | volatile |
| 62 | Suriname | 7.13 | 2012 | down 31.4% | volatile |
| 63 | Malta | 6.69 | 2011 | down 12.4% | volatile |
| 64 | Ecuador | 6.51 | 2024 | up 12.6% | volatile |
| 65 | Myanmar | 6.47 | 2020 | down 32.9% | volatile |
| 66 | Peru | 6.34 | 2024 | up 0.8% | volatile |
| 67 | Greece | 6.09 | 2009 | up 51.9% | volatile |
| 68 | Seychelles | 6.05 | 2010 | down 25.9% | volatile |
| 69 | Dominican Republic | 5.97 | 2024 | down 27.5% | volatile |
| 70 | Mauritius | 5.71 | 2023 | down 32.9% | volatile |
| 71 | Syria | 5.58 | 2021 | — | volatile |
| 72 | Jordan | 5.56 | 2024 | up 163.5% | volatile |
| 73 | Portugal | 5.52 | 2011 | — | volatile |
| 74 | Brazil | 5.26 | 2024 | down 36.4% | volatile |
| 75 | Paraguay | 5.14 | 2024 | up 3.4% | volatile |
| 76 | Colombia | 4.66 | 2024 | down 19.8% | volatile |
| 77 | Mexico | 4.45 | 2024 | down 18.2% | volatile |
| 78 | Malaysia | 4.23 | 2022 | down 38.5% | volatile |
| 79 | Indonesia | 4 | 2020 | down 47.9% | volatile |
| 80 | Brunei | 3.91 | 2011 | down 46.7% | volatile |
| 81 | Vietnam | 3.87 | 2022 | down 40.3% | volatile |
| 82 | Panama | 3.77 | 2024 | down 36.2% | volatile |
| 83 | Chile | 3.6 | 2017 | up 9.1% | volatile |
| 84 | Kuwait | 3.54 | 2020 | down 36.0% | volatile |
| 85 | Belgium | 3.5 | 1950 | — | volatile |
| 85 | France | 3.5 | 1950 | down 12.5% | volatile |
| 85 | United States | 3.5 | 1950 | up 20.7% | falling |
| 88 | Macao | 3.46 | 2016 | down 46.8% | volatile |
| 89 | Bolivia | 3.27 | 2024 | down 56.6% | volatile |
| 90 | China | 3.26 | 2020 | down 33.2% | volatile |
| 91 | Venezuela | 2.82 | 2017 | down 41.9% | volatile |
| 92 | Turkey | 2.74 | 2021 | down 53.5% | volatile |
| 93 | Oman | 2.66 | 2022 | down 79.6% | volatile |
| 94 | Canada | 2.5 | 1950 | — | volatile |
| 95 | Cuba | 2.35 | 2019 | up 612.1% | volatile |
| 95 | Singapore | 2.35 | 2021 | down 38.3% | volatile |
| 97 | Albania | 2.32 | 2023 | down 15.6% | volatile |
| 98 | Bahrain | 2.18 | 2024 | — | volatile |
| 99 | Saudi Arabia | 2.07 | 2024 | down 62.8% | volatile |
| 100 | Palestine | 2.06 | 2024 | down 45.6% | volatile |
| 101 | Samoa | 2.01 | 2019 | up 95.1% | volatile |
| 102 | Maldives | 1.79 | 2019 | up 11.9% | volatile |
| 103 | Bulgaria | 1.65 | 2011 | down 8.3% | volatile |
| 104 | Philippines | 1.53 | 2020 | down 47.4% | volatile |
| 105 | Germany | 1.5 | 1950 | — | volatile |
| 105 | Finland | 1.5 | 1950 | — | volatile |
| 105 | United Kingdom | 1.5 | 1950 | — | volatile |
| 105 | Ireland | 1.5 | 1950 | — | volatile |
| 105 | Netherlands | 1.5 | 1950 | — | volatile |
| 105 | Sweden | 1.5 | 1950 | — | volatile |
| 111 | Montenegro | 1.47 | 2018 | down 5.8% | volatile |
| 112 | Mongolia | 1.36 | 2024 | down 21.8% | volatile |
| 113 | Poland | 1.26 | 1978 | — | volatile |
| 114 | United Arab Emirates | 1.19 | 2024 | down 46.4% | volatile |
| 115 | Hungary | 1.14 | 1980 | — | volatile |
| 116 | Uruguay | 1.09 | 2024 | down 30.1% | volatile |
| 117 | Argentina | 0.86 | 2020 | — | volatile |
| 118 | Romania | 0.84 | 2021 | down 40.0% | volatile |
| 119 | Qatar | 0.68 | 2024 | down 69.8% | volatile |
| 120 | Serbia | 0.66 | 2022 | down 67.6% | volatile |
| 121 | Italy | 0.65 | 2019 | down 43.5% | volatile |
| 122 | Tonga | 0.52 | 2023 | down 14.8% | volatile |
| 123 | Georgia | 0.32 | 2024 | down 22.0% | volatile |
| 124 | Spain | 0.3 | 2021 | down 86.5% | volatile |
| 125 | Tajikistan | 0.2701 | 2009 | down 50.9% | volatile |
| 126 | Azerbaijan | 0.22 | 2023 | up 4.8% | volatile |
| 127 | Armenia | 0.16 | 2023 | down 38.5% | volatile |
| 128 | Uzbekistan | 0 | 2022 | down 100.0% | volatile |