FIELD LISTING :: LITERACY
CountryLITERACY(%)
Afghanistan definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 38.2%
male: 52%
female: 24.2% (2015 est.)
Albania definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.6%
male: 98.4%
female: 96.9% (2015 est.)
Algeria definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 80.2%
male: 87.2%
female: 73.1% (2015 est.)
Angola definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 71.1%
male: 82%
female: 60.7% (2015 est.)
Antigua and Barbuda definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling
total population: 99%
male: 98.4%
female: 99.4% (2012 est.)
Argentina definition: age 10 and over can read and write
total population: 98.1%
male: 98%
female: 98.1% (2015 est.)
Armenia definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.7%
male: 99.7%
female: 99.6% (2015 est.)
Aruba definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.5%
male: 97.5%
female: 97.5% (2015 est.)
Azerbaijan definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.8%
male: 99.9%
female: 99.8% (2015 est.)
Bahrain definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.7%
male: 96.9%
female: 93.5% (2015 est.)
Bangladesh definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 61.5%
male: 64.6%
female: 58.5% (2015 est.)
Belarus definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.7%
male: 99.8%
female: 99.7% (2015 est.)
Benin definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 38.4%
male: 49.9%
female: 27.3% (2015 est.)
Bhutan definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 64.9%
male: 73.1%
female: 55% (2015 est.)
Bolivia definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.7%
male: 97.8%
female: 93.6% (2015 est.)
Bosnia and Herzegovina definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.5%
male: 99.5%
female: 97.5% (2015 est.)
Botswana definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 88.5%
male: 88%
female: 88.9% (2015 est.)
Brazil definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.6%
male: 92.2%
female: 92.9% (2015 est.)
Brunei definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96%
male: 97.5%
female: 94.5% (2015 est.)
Bulgaria definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.4%
male: 98.7%
female: 98.1% (2015 est.)
Burkina Faso definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 36%
male: 43%
female: 29.3% (2015 est.)
Burma definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.1%
male: 95.2%
female: 91.2% (2015 est.)
Burundi definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 85.6%
male: 88.2%
female: 83.1% (2015 est.)
Cabo Verde definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 87.6%
male: 92.1%
female: 83.1% (2015 est.)
Cambodia definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 77.2%
male: 84.5%
female: 70.5% (2015 est.)
Cameroon definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 75%
male: 81.2%
female: 68.9% (2015 est.)
Cayman Islands definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 98.9%
male: 98.7%
female: 99% (2007 est.)
Central African Republic definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 36.8%
male: 50.7%
female: 24.4% (2015 est.)
Chad definition: age 15 and over can read and write French or Arabic
total population: 40.2%
male: 48.5%
female: 31.9% (2015 est.)
Chile definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.5%
male: 97.6%
female: 97.4% (2015 est.)
China definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.4%
male: 98.2%
female: 94.5% (2015 est.)
Colombia definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94.7%
male: 94.6%
female: 94.8% (2015 est.)
Comoros definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 77.8%
male: 81.8%
female: 73.7% (2015 est.)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the definition: age 15 and over can read and write French, Lingala, Kingwana, or Tshiluba
total population: 63.8%
male: 78.1%
female: 50% (2015 est.)
Congo, Republic of the definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 79.3%
male: 86.4%
female: 72.9% (2015 est.)
Costa Rica definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.8%
male: 97.7%
female: 97.8% (2015 est.)
Cote d'Ivoire definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 43.1%
male: 53.1%
female: 32.5% (2015 est.)
Croatia definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.3%
male: 99.7%
female: 98.9% (2015 est.)
Cuba definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.8%
male: 99.9%
female: 99.8% (2015 est.)
Cyprus definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.1%
male: 99.5%
female: 98.7% (2015 est.)
Czechia definition: NA
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2011 est.)
Dominican Republic definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91.8%
male: 91.2%
female: 92.3% (2015 est.)
Ecuador definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94.5%
male: 95.4%
female: 93.5% (2015 est.)
Egypt definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 73.8%
male: 82.2%
female: 65.4% (2015 est.)
El Salvador definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 88%
male: 90.4%
female: 86% (2015 est.)
Equatorial Guinea definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.3%
male: 97.4%
female: 93% (2015 est.)
Eritrea definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 73.8%
male: 82.4%
female: 65.5% (2015 est.)
Estonia definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.8%
male: 99.8%
female: 99.8% (2015 est.)
Ethiopia definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 49.1%
male: 57.2%
female: 41.1% (2015 est.)
Gabon definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83.2%
male: 85.3%
female: 81% (2015 est.)
Gambia, The definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 55.5%
male: 63.9%
female: 47.6% (2015 est.)
Gaza Strip definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.5%
male: 98.4%
female: 94.5%
note: estimates are for Gaza and the West Bank (2015 est.)
Georgia definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.8%
male: 99.8%
female: 99.7% (2015 est.)
Ghana definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 76.6%
male: 82%
female: 71.4% (2015 est.)
Greece definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.7%
male: 98.5%
female: 96.9% (2015 est.)
Guatemala definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 81.5%
male: 87.4%
female: 76.3% (2015 est.)
Guinea-Bissau definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 59.9%
male: 71.8%
female: 48.3% (2015 est.)
Guinea definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 30.4%
male: 38.1%
female: 22.8% (2015 est.)
Guyana definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 88.5%
male: 87.2%
female: 89.8% (2015 est.)
Haiti definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 60.7%
male: 64.3%
female: 57.3% (2015 est.)
Honduras definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 88.5%
male: 88.4%
female: 88.6% (2015 est.)
Hungary definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.1%
male: 99.1%
female: 99% (2015 est.)
India definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 71.2%
male: 81.3%
female: 60.6% (2015 est.)
Indonesia definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.9%
male: 96.3%
female: 91.5% (2015 est.)
Iran definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.8%
male: 91.2%
female: 82.5% (2015 est.)
Iraq definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 79.7%
male: 85.7%
female: 73.7% (2015 est.)
Israel definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.8%
male: 98.7%
female: 96.8% (2011 est.)
Italy definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.2%
male: 99.4%
female: 99% (2015 est.)
Jamaica definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 88.7%
male: 84%
female: 93.1% (2015 est.)
Jordan definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.4%
male: 97.7%
female: 92.9% (2015 est.)
Kazakhstan definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.8%
male: 99.8%
female: 99.8% (2015 est.)
Kenya definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 78%
male: 81.1%
female: 74.9% (2015 est.)
Korea, North definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100%
male: 100%
female: 100% (2015 est.)
Kosovo definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91.9%
male: 96.6%
female: 87.5% (2003 est.)
Kuwait definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.3%
male: 96.5%
female: 95.8% (2015 est.)
Kyrgyzstan definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.5%
male: 99.6%
female: 99.4% (2015 est.)
Laos definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 79.9%
male: 87.1%
female: 72.8% (2015 est.)
Latvia definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.9%
male: 99.9%
female: 99.9% (2015 est.)
Lebanon definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.9%
male: 96%
female: 91.8% (2015 est.)
Lesotho definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 79.4%
male: 70.1%
female: 88.3% (2015 est.)
Liberia definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 47.6%
male: 62.4%
female: 32.8% (2015 est.)
Libya definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91%
male: 96.7%
female: 85.6% (2015 est.)
Lithuania definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.8%
male: 99.8%
female: 99.8% (2015 est.)
Macau definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.2%
male: 98%
female: 94.6% (2015 est.)
Macedonia definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.8%
male: 98.8%
female: 96.8% (2015 est.)
Madagascar definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 64.7%
male: 66.7%
female: 62.6% (2015 est.)
Malawi definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 65.8%
male: 73%
female: 58.6% (2015 est.)
Malaysia definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94.6%
male: 96.2%
female: 93.2% (2015 est.)
Maldives definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.3%
male: 99.8%
female: 98.8% (2015 est.)
Mali definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 38.7%
male: 48.2%
female: 29.2% (2015 est.)
Malta definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94.4%
male: 93.1%
female: 95.8% (2015 est.)
Mauritania definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 52.1%
male: 62.6%
female: 41.6% (2015 est.)
Mauritius definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 90.6%
male: 92.9%
female: 88.5% (2015 est.)
Mexico definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.1%
male: 96.2%
female: 94.2% (2012 est.)
Moldova definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.4%
male: 99.7%
female: 99.1% (2015 est.)
Mongolia definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.4%
male: 98.2%
female: 98.6% (2015 est.)
Montenegro definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.7%
male: 99.5%
female: 98% (2015 est.)
Morocco definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 68.5%
male: 78.6%
female: 58.8% (2015 est.)
Mozambique definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 58.8%
male: 73.3%
female: 45.4% (2015 est.)
Namibia definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 81.9%
male: 79.2%
female: 84.5% (2015 est.)
Nepal definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 63.9%
male: 76.4%
female: 53.1% (2015 est.)
New Caledonia definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.9%
male: 97.3%
female: 96.5% (2015 est.)
Nicaragua definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 82.8%
male: 82.4%
female: 83.2% (2015 est.)
Nigeria definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 59.6%
male: 69.2%
female: 49.7% (2015 est.)
Niger definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 19.1%
male: 27.3%
female: 11% (2015 est.)
Oman definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91.1%
male: 93.6%
female: 85.6% (2015 est.)
Pakistan definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 57.9%
male: 69.5%
female: 45.8% (2015 est.)
Palau definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.5%
male: 99.5%
female: 99.6% (2015 est.)
Panama definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95%
male: 95.7%
female: 94.4% (2015 est.)
Papua New Guinea definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 64.2%
male: 65.6%
female: 62.8% (2015 est.)
Paraguay definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.9%
male: 94.8%
female: 92.9% (2010 est.)
Peru definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94.5%
male: 97.3%
female: 91.7% (2015 est.)
Philippines definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.3%
male: 95.8%
female: 96.8% (2015 est.)
Poland definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.8%
male: 99.9%
female: 99.7% (2015 est.)
Portugal definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.7%
male: 97.1%
female: 94.4% (2015 est.)
Puerto Rico definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.3%
male: 92.8%
female: 93.8% (2015 est.)
Qatar definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.3%
male: 97.4%
female: 96.8% (2015 est.)
Romania definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.8%
male: 99.1%
female: 98.5% (2015 est.)
Russia definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.7%
male: 99.7%
female: 99.6% (2015 est.)
Rwanda definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 70.5%
male: 73.2%
female: 68% (2015 est.)
Samoa definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99.1%
female: 98.8% (2015 est.)
Sao Tome and Principe definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 74.9%
male: 81.8%
female: 68.4% (2015 est.)
Saudi Arabia definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94.7%
male: 97%
female: 91.1% (2015 est.)
Senegal definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 57.7%
male: 69.7%
female: 46.6% (2015 est.)
Serbia definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.1%
male: 99.1%
female: 97.2% (2015 est.)
Seychelles definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91.8%
male: 91.4%
female: 92.3% (2012 est.)
Sierra Leone definition: age 15 and over can read and write English, Mende, Temne, or Arabic
total population: 48.1%
male: 58.7%
female: 37.7% (2015 est.)
Singapore definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.8%
male: 98.6%
female: 95% (2015 est.)
Slovenia definition: NA
total population: 99.7%
male: 99.7%
female: 99.7% (2015 est.)
Solomon Islands definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 84.1%
male: 88.9%
female: 79.2% (2009 est.)
South Africa definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94.3%
male: 95.5%
female: 93.1% (2015 est.)
South Sudan definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 27%
male: 40%
female: 16% (2009 est.)
Spain definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.1%
male: 98.7%
female: 97.5% (2015 est.)
Sri Lanka definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.6%
male: 93.6%
female: 91.7% (2015 est.)
Sudan definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 75.9%
male: 83.3%
female: 68.6% (2015 est.)
Suriname definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.6%
male: 96.1%
female: 95% (2015 est.)
Swaziland definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 87.5%
male: 87.4%
female: 87.5% (2015 est.)
Syria definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.4%
male: 91.7%
female: 81% (2015 est.)
Taiwan definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.5%
male: 99.7%
female: 97.3% (2014 est.)
Tajikistan definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.8%
male: 99.8%
female: 99.7% (2015 est.)
Tanzania definition: age 15 and over can read and write Kiswahili (Swahili), English, or Arabic
total population: 70.6%
male: 75.9%
female: 65.4% (2015 est.)
Thailand definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.7%
male: 96.6%
female: 96.7% (2015 est.)
Timor-Leste definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 67.5%
male: 71.5%
female: 63.4% (2015 est.)
Togo definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 66.5%
male: 78.3%
female: 55.3% (2015 est.)
Tonga definition: can read and write Tongan and/or English
total population: 99.4%
male: 99.3%
female: 99.4% (2015 est.)
Trinidad and Tobago definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99.2%
female: 98.7% (2015 est.)
Tunisia definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 81.8%
male: 89.6%
female: 74.2% (2015 est.)
Turkey definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95%
male: 98.4%
female: 91.8% (2015 est.)
Turkmenistan definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.7%
male: 99.8%
female: 99.6% (2015 est.)
Uganda definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 78.4%
male: 85.3%
female: 71.5% (2015 est.)
Ukraine definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.8%
male: 99.8%
female: 99.7% (2015 est.)
United Arab Emirates definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.8%
male: 93.1%
female: 95.8% (2015 est.)
Uruguay definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.5%
male: 98.2%
female: 98.8% (2015 est.)
Uzbekistan definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.6%
male: 99.7%
female: 99.5% (2015 est.)
Vanuatu definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 85.2%
male: 86.6%
female: 83.8% (2015 est.)
Venezuela definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.3%
male: 96.4%
female: 96.2% (2015 est.)
Vietnam definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94.5%
male: 96.3%
female: 92.8% (2015 est.)
West Bank definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.5%
male: 98.4%
female: 94.5%
notes: estimates are for Gaza and West Bank (2015 est.)
World definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.1%
male: 89.9%
female: 82.2% (2015 est.)
note: more than three-quarters of the world's 781 million illiterate adults are found in South and West Asia and sub-Saharan Africa; of all the illiterate adults in the world, almost two-thirds are women (2012)
Yemen definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 70.1%
male: 85.1%
female: 55% (2015 est.)
Zambia definition: age 15 and over can read and write English
total population: 63.4%
male: 70.9%
female: 56% (2015 est.)
Zimbabwe definition: age 15 and over can read and write English
total population: 86.5%
male: 88.5%
female: 84.6% (2015 est.)