| Countries | Date | Adult literacy rate female | Adult literacy rate male | Adult literacy rate | Adult literacy rate 15-24 | Ch. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spain [+] | 2007 | 97.26% | 98.63% | 97.94% | 99.57% | -0.03 | |
| Italy [+] | 2001 | 98.04% | 98.82% | 98.42% | 99.81% | 0.17 | |
| Portugal [+] | 1991 | 84.66% | 91.59% | 87.95% | 99.20% | 1.26 | |
| Greece [+] | 2007 | 91.81% | 96.16% | 93.93% | 99.56% | 0.03 | |
| United Arab Emirates [+] | 2005 | 91.47% | 89.48% | 90.03% | 95.01% | 12.53 | |
| Afghanistan [+] | 1979 | 4.99% | 30.31% | 18.16% | 30.07% | ||
| Antigua and Barbuda [+] | 2001 | 99.42% | 98.40% | 98.95% | |||
| Albania [+] | 2001 | 98.25% | 99.19% | 98.71% | 99.44% | ||
| Armenia [+] | 2001 | 99.16% | 99.67% | 99.40% | 99.81% | -0.19 | |
| Angola [+] | 2001 | 54.19% | 82.92% | 67.41% | 72.19% | ||
| Argentina [+] | 2006 | 98.51% | 98.73% | 98.61% | 99.45% | 0.53 | |
| Azerbaijan [+] | 2007 | 99.38% | 99.82% | 99.59% | 99.99% | -0.01 | |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina [+] | 2000 | 94.36% | 99.03% | 96.66% | 99.79% | 0.77 | |
| Barbados [+] | 2004 | 99.60% | 99.60% | 99.60% | 99.90% | 0 | |
| Bangladesh [+] | 2007 | 43.74% | 49.83% | 46.66% | 61.87% | -1.75 | |
| Burkina Faso [+] | 2007 | 21.03% | 36.57% | 28.29% | 39.26% | 6.53 | |
| Bulgaria [+] | 2001 | 97.71% | 98.74% | 98.20% | 98.21% | ||
| Bahrain [+] | 2001 | 83.56% | 88.55% | 86.55% | 97.02% | 0.09 | |
| Burundi [+] | 2000 | 52.24% | 67.31% | 59.30% | 73.33% | 19.77 | |
| Benin [+] | 2006 | 18.44% | 40.62% | 28.70% | 42.36% | -2.95 | |
| Brunei [+] | 2001 | 90.16% | 95.15% | 92.67% | 98.89% | 0.80 | |
| Bolivia [+] | 2007 | 85.99% | 96.04% | 90.74% | 99.44% | 1.03 | |
| Brazil [+] | 2007 | 90.23% | 89.77% | 90.01% | 97.78% | 0.23 | |
| Bhutan [+] | 2005 | 38.68% | 65.05% | 52.81% | 74.41% | ||
| Botswana [+] | 2003 | 81.81% | 80.43% | 81.19% | 93.96% | 4.70 | |
| Belarus [+] | 1999 | 99.42% | 99.79% | 99.59% | 99.79% | 0.03 | |
| Belize [+] | 2001 | 81.30% | 80.40% | 80.90% | 87.20% | 2.98 | |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo [+] | 2007 | 46.10% | 76.92% | 61.21% | 65.78% | -4.64 | |
| Central African Republic [+] | 2000 | 35.29% | 66.79% | 50.65% | 60.81% | 12.60 | |
| Republic of the Congo [+] | 2005 | 67.48% | 86.05% | 76.11% | 78.57% | -8.93 | |
| Côte d'Ivoire [+] | 2000 | 38.61% | 60.86% | 48.74% | 60.72% | 13.66 | |
| Chile [+] | 2006 | 95.64% | 95.80% | 95.72% | 99.11% | 0 | |
| Cameroon [+] | 2007 | 63.02% | 78.95% | 70.68% | 83.14% | 8.03 | |
| China [+] | 2000 | 86.53% | 95.14% | 90.92% | 98.86% | 4.58 | |
| Colombia [+] | 2007 | 92.85% | 92.43% | 92.65% | 97.97% | 0.09 | |
| Costa Rica [+] | 2000 | 95.08% | 94.65% | 94.87% | 97.61% | 0.47 | |
| Cuba [+] | 2002 | 99.79% | 99.81% | 99.80% | 99.96% | 0.39 | |
| Cabo Verde [+] | 2004 | 81.46% | 80.53% | 81.00% | 94.15% | -1.72 | |
| Cyprus [+] | 2001 | 95.08% | 98.63% | 96.80% | 99.77% | 0.15 | |
| Dominican Republic [+] | 2007 | 88.28% | 88.21% | 88.24% | 97.50% | 0.93 | |
| Algeria [+] | 2006 | 63.92% | 81.28% | 72.65% | 91.78% | 1.64 | |
| Ecuador [+] | 2007 | 90.87% | 93.39% | 92.10% | 96.09% | 0.27 | |
| Estonia [+] | 2000 | 99.76% | 99.78% | 99.77% | 99.77% | -0.10 | |
| Egypt [+] | 2006 | 57.81% | 74.62% | 66.37% | 84.88% | 0.02 | |
| Eritrea [+] | 2002 | 40.22% | 65.39% | 52.51% | 77.95% | ||
| Ethiopia [+] | 2007 | 28.92% | 49.13% | 39.00% | 54.98% | 10.38 | |
| Fiji [+] | 1996 | 91.39% | 94.47% | 92.94% | 99.26% | ||
| Gabon [+] | 1993 | 65.33% | 79.44% | 72.23% | 93.21% | ||
| Grenada [+] | 2004 | 98.60% | 98.58% | 98.60% | 99.20% | 0 | |
| Georgia [+] | 2002 | 99.55% | 99.77% | 99.65% | 99.83% | ||
| Ghana [+] | 2003 | 49.79% | 66.35% | 57.90% | 79.71% | 9.05 | |
| The Gambia [+] | 2000 | 25.06% | 48.98% | 36.82% | 52.56% | ||
| Guinea [+] | 2005 | 18.24% | 42.90% | 29.70% | 45.93% | -1.16 | |
| Equatorial Guinea [+] | 2000 | 81.62% | 94.84% | 88.31% | 97.13% | ||
| Guatemala [+] | 2006 | 63.34% | 75.42% | 69.10% | 87.84% | 5.62 | |
| Guinea-Bissau [+] | 2000 | 27.49% | 57.61% | 41.36% | 59.49% | 23.09 | |
| Honduras [+] | 2007 | 83.45% | 83.75% | 83.59% | 93.92% | 2.13 | |
| Croatia [+] | 2001 | 97.08% | 99.32% | 98.15% | 99.65% | 0.01 | |
| Haiti [+] | 2006 | 44.60% | 53.36% | 48.69% | 72.35% | -9.27 | |
| Hungary [+] | 1990 | 98.80% | 99.30% | 99.10% | 99.20% | -0.17 | |
| Indonesia [+] | 2006 | 88.79% | 95.16% | 91.98% | 96.65% | -2.05 | |
| Israel [+] | 1983 | 88.67% | 94.96% | 91.75% | 98.56% | ||
| India [+] | 2006 | 50.82% | 75.19% | 62.75% | 81.13% | 4.71 | |
| Iraq [+] | 2000 | 64.17% | 84.09% | 74.05% | 84.80% | ||
| Iran [+] | 2006 | 77.24% | 87.27% | 82.33% | 96.64% | -0.79 | |
| Jamaica [+] | 1999 | 85.87% | 74.08% | 79.92% | 91.60% | ||
| Jordan [+] | 2007 | 88.90% | 95.49% | 92.20% | 98.95% | -0.03 | |
| Kenya [+] | 2007 | 66.86% | 78.08% | 72.16% | 82.39% | -10.14 | |
| Kyrgyzstan [+] | 1999 | 98.13% | 99.31% | 98.70% | 99.70% | ||
| Cambodia [+] | 2005 | 64.05% | 84.68% | 73.61% | 77.96% | -5.42 | |
| Comoros [+] | 2000 | 63.46% | 74.51% | 68.49% | 80.19% | 18.47 | |
| Kuwait [+] | 2007 | 91.50% | 94.79% | 93.66% | 98.45% | -0.06 | |
| Kazakhstan [+] | 1999 | 99.29% | 99.76% | 99.51% | 99.85% | 0.12 | |
| Laos [+] | 2005 | 63.23% | 82.45% | 72.70% | 83.93% | 5.47 | |
| Lebanon [+] | 2007 | 85.97% | 93.38% | 89.61% | 98.71% | ||
| Sri Lanka [+] | 2006 | 89.09% | 92.71% | 90.81% | 97.48% | 1.90 | |
| Liberia [+] | 2007 | 27.03% | 60.77% | 42.94% | 49.07% | 1.44 | |
| Lesotho [+] | 2000 | 92.05% | 80.00% | 86.25% | 90.93% | ||
| Lithuania [+] | 2001 | 99.65% | 99.64% | 99.65% | 99.70% | 0.03 | |
| Latvia [+] | 2000 | 99.71% | 99.79% | 99.75% | 99.75% | -0.03 | |
| Libya [+] | 2004 | 77.80% | 93.85% | 86.10% | 99.60% | 1.70 | |
| Morocco [+] | 2004 | 39.62% | 65.71% | 52.31% | 70.46% | 12.02 | |
| Moldova [+] | 2005 | 95.49% | 97.98% | 96.65% | 99.91% | 0.38 | |
| Montenegro [+] | 2003 | 96.32% | 99.30% | 97.77% | 99.41% | 0.26 | |
| Madagascar [+] | 2005 | 54.75% | 63.35% | 58.94% | 57.63% | -12.61 | |
| North Macedonia [+] | 2002 | 94.06% | 98.21% | 96.13% | 98.74% | -0.12 | |
| Mali [+] | 2006 | 18.19% | 34.86% | 26.18% | 38.82% | 14.63 | |
| Myanmar [+] | 2000 | 86.42% | 93.92% | 89.94% | 94.59% | 9.69 | |
| Mongolia [+] | 2000 | 97.53% | 98.02% | 97.77% | 97.71% | ||
| Mauritania [+] | 2007 | 35.35% | 57.40% | 45.50% | 56.12% | -5.21 | |
| Malta [+] | 2005 | 93.50% | 91.19% | 92.36% | 98.27% | 2.23 | |
| Mauritius [+] | 2000 | 80.50% | 88.23% | 84.30% | 94.54% | 3.35 | |
| Maldives [+] | 2006 | 98.43% | 98.37% | 98.40% | 99.30% | 1.13 | |
| Malawi [+] | 1998 | 54.00% | 74.93% | 64.13% | 76.01% | 16.99 | |
| Mexico [+] | 2007 | 91.36% | 94.44% | 92.80% | 98.16% | 0.30 | |
| Malaysia [+] | 2001 | 86.19% | 92.74% | 89.51% | 98.15% | 0.92 | |
| Mozambique [+] | 2003 | 33.19% | 65.58% | 48.16% | 61.89% | 14.92 | |
| Namibia [+] | 2007 | 78.35% | 74.33% | 76.49% | 87.10% | -5.33 | |
| Niger [+] | 2006 | 15.08% | 42.93% | 28.67% | 21.39% | -15.16 | |
| Nigeria [+] | 2006 | 64.25% | 76.13% | 70.20% | 78.69% | 9.70 | |
| Nicaragua [+] | 2005 | 77.92% | 78.10% | 78.00% | 90.99% | 3.66 | |
| Nepal [+] | 2006 | 34.89% | 62.71% | 48.61% | 82.10% | 12.05 | |
| Oman [+] | 2003 | 73.53% | 86.86% | 81.36% | 97.28% | ||
| Panama [+] | 2000 | 91.25% | 92.55% | 91.90% | 96.08% | 0.99 | |
| Peru [+] | 2007 | 84.65% | 94.86% | 89.59% | 97.55% | -0.44 | |
| Papua New Guinea [+] | 2000 | 50.92% | 63.45% | 57.34% | 66.68% | ||
| Philippines [+] | 2003 | 93.56% | 91.63% | 92.59% | 95.06% | -0.03 | |
| Pakistan [+] | 2007 | 38.46% | 65.00% | 52.14% | 66.28% | -2.88 | |
| Poland [+] | 1998 | 98.25% | 99.28% | 98.74% | 99.80% | 0.00 | |
| State of Palestine [+] | 2007 | 90.35% | 97.10% | 93.76% | 99.07% | -0.02 | |
| Palau [+] | 1980 | 90.50% | 93.29% | 91.92% | 94.28% | ||
| Paraguay [+] | 2007 | 93.45% | 95.71% | 94.56% | 98.72% | 0.58 | |
| Qatar [+] | 2007 | 90.44% | 93.81% | 93.08% | 99.06% | 3.14 | |
| Romania [+] | 2002 | 96.27% | 98.40% | 97.30% | 97.76% | -1.35 | |
| Serbia [+] | 2003 | 94.07% | 98.91% | 96.40% | 99.36% | ||
| Russia [+] | 2002 | 99.23% | 99.69% | 99.44% | 99.72% | 0.01 | |
| Rwanda [+] | 2005 | 59.75% | 71.42% | 64.89% | 70.46% | -7.16 | |
| Saudi Arabia [+] | 2004 | 76.34% | 87.53% | 82.86% | 95.85% | -0.06 | |
| Solomon Islands [+] | 1999 | 69.00% | 83.70% | 76.60% | |||
| Seychelles [+] | 2002 | 92.26% | 91.41% | 91.84% | 99.06% | 0.25 | |
| Sudan [+] | 2000 | 52.15% | 71.58% | 61.35% | 78.16% | ||
| Singapore [+] | 2000 | 88.65% | 96.57% | 92.55% | 99.50% | 0.54 | |
| Slovenia [+] | 2004 | 99.60% | 99.69% | 99.70% | 99.80% | 0.00 | |
| Sierra Leone [+] | 2004 | 24.16% | 46.65% | 34.83% | 47.93% | ||
| Senegal [+] | 2006 | 32.99% | 52.26% | 41.89% | 50.85% | 4.72 | |
| Somalia [+] | 1972 | 3.69% | 7.20% | 5.40% | 13.14% | ||
| Suriname [+] | 2004 | 87.20% | 92.02% | 89.60% | 94.88% | ||
| Sao Tome and Principe [+] | 2001 | 77.95% | 92.23% | 84.91% | 95.42% | 1.57 | |
| El Salvador [+] | 2007 | 79.66% | 84.86% | 82.03% | 95.48% | 0.53 | |
| Syria [+] | 2004 | 73.63% | 87.76% | 80.84% | 92.45% | -2.74 | |
| Eswatini [+] | 2006 | 80.33% | 83.15% | 81.66% | 91.41% | -0.45 | |
| Chad [+] | 2004 | 17.98% | 39.37% | 28.38% | 41.67% | 4.12 | |
| Togo [+] | 2006 | 44.38% | 70.27% | 56.89% | 76.45% | 2.01 | |
| Thailand [+] | 2005 | 91.53% | 95.60% | 93.51% | 98.05% | 0.08 | |
| Tajikistan [+] | 2000 | 99.22% | 99.68% | 99.45% | 99.85% | 0.14 | |
| Timor-Leste [+] | 2007 | 42.50% | 58.50% | 50.60% | |||
| Turkmenistan [+] | 2005 | 99.20% | 99.60% | 99.40% | 99.80% | -0.01 | |
| Tunisia [+] | 2007 | 68.51% | 86.05% | 77.19% | 96.30% | 1.96 | |
| Tonga [+] | 2006 | 99.08% | 98.95% | 99.02% | 99.42% | 0.12 | |
| Türkiye [+] | 2007 | 81.26% | 96.20% | 88.66% | 96.36% | 0.18 | |
| Trinidad and Tobago [+] | 2000 | 97.10% | 98.75% | 97.90% | 99.40% | 0.10 | |
| Tanzania [+] | 2002 | 62.17% | 77.51% | 69.43% | 78.40% | -3.36 | |
| Ukraine [+] | 2001 | 99.17% | 99.74% | 99.43% | 99.80% | ||
| Uganda [+] | 2006 | 62.08% | 81.39% | 71.37% | 84.07% | 3.27 | |
| Uruguay [+] | 2007 | 98.24% | 97.42% | 97.86% | 98.76% | 0.05 | |
| Uzbekistan [+] | 2000 | 98.14% | 99.16% | 98.64% | 99.87% | ||
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines [+] | 1980 | 96.90% | 96.90% | 96.90% | 98.70% | 0.74 | |
| Venezuela [+] | 2007 | 94.93% | 95.38% | 95.15% | 98.40% | 0.11 | |
| Viet Nam [+] | 2000 | 86.61% | 93.93% | 90.16% | 94.84% | 0.31 | |
| Vanuatu [+] | 2004 | 76.20% | 80.48% | 78.40% | 91.80% | 5.70 | |
| Samoa [+] | 1991 | 97.42% | 98.42% | 97.94% | 99.04% | ||
| Yemen [+] | 2004 | 35.00% | 73.16% | 54.10% | 77.00% | 16.78 | |
| South Africa [+] | 2007 | 87.04% | 90.72% | 88.72% | 97.57% | 3.67 | |
| Zambia [+] | 2007 | 51.79% | 71.32% | 61.13% | 64.05% | -5.04 | |
| Zimbabwe [+] | 1992 | 78.52% | 88.89% | 83.51% | 95.41% | 6.39 | |
Literacy rate
