Literate and illiterate world population in Romania

Romania: Literate and illiterate world population was 0.8% in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
0.8%
World rank
118th
of 128 countries
All-time high
22.5%
in 1950
All-time low
0.8%
in 2021
Years of data
5
1950–2021

Literate and illiterate world population in Romania, 1950–2021

05101520251950198520211950: 22.5 %1992: 3.3 %2002: 2.7 %2011: 1.4 %2021: 0.84 %

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

Analysis

In 2021, literate and illiterate world population in Romania stood at 0.8%. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.

That represents a change of down 40.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literate and illiterate world population in Romania peaked at 22.5% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 0.8%, in 2021.

That places Romania 118th out of 128 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Literate and illiterate world population in Romania, year by year

Annual values for Literate and illiterate world population in Romania, 1950 to 2021.
Year % Change
1950 22.5%
1992 3.3% -85.4%
2002 2.7% -17.9%
2011 1.4% -48.1%
2021 0.8% -40.0%

Romania compared with similar countries

  • Romania's 0.8% is below the median for high income countries, which is 2.2%, 39% of the median. (33 countries reporting)
  • Romania's 0.8% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.5%, 56% of the median. (25 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 22.5% 22.5% 22.5% 1
1990s 3.3% 3.3% 3.3% 1
2000s 2.7% 2.7% 2.7% 1
2010s 1.4% 1.4% 1.4% 1
2020s 0.8% 0.8% 0.8% 1

Countries ranked near Romania

  1. 115 Hungary 1.1% compare
  2. 116 Uruguay 1.1% compare
  3. 117 Argentina 0.9% compare
  4. 119 Qatar 0.7% compare
  5. 120 Serbia 0.7% compare
  6. 121 Italy 0.7% compare

See the full ranking of 128 places →

More population data for Romania

All data for Romania →

Frequently asked questions

What is literate and illiterate world population in Romania?
Literate and illiterate world population in Romania was 0.8% in 2021, 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 Romania?
The highest recorded value was 22.5% in 1950.
What is the lowest literate and illiterate world population recorded in Romania?
The lowest recorded value was 0.8% in 2021.
How does Romania rank for literate and illiterate world population?
Romania ranks 118th out of 128 countries with data for 2021.
Is literate and illiterate world population rising or falling in Romania?
Over the last ten years it is down 40.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Romania 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.

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Literate and illiterate world population in Romania. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 24 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/literate-and-illiterate-world-population/romania/

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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.