The ranking shows the percentage of literate population in each country among citizens over the age of 15. A person is considered literate if they have mastered written language, meaning they can read and write.

In 2020, the Seychelles ranked first by rate of adult literacy as share of the country's population 15 years and above among the 53 countries presented in the ranking. Seychelles' rate of adult literacy amounted to ***** percent, while Equatorial Guinea (2010) and Sao Tome and Principe (2022), the second and third countries, had records amounting to ***** percent and ***** percent, respectively.

The average for 2021 based on 2 countries was 95.22 percent. The highest value was in Costa Rica: 98.04 percent and the lowest value was in Puerto Rico: 92.4 percent. The indicator is available from 1970 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Cross sectional data, all countries for the statistic Literacy_Rate_Adult_Total. Indicator Definition:Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.Indicator Unit:The statistic is measured in Percent.Descriptive Statistics regarding the Indicator "Literacy Rate Adult Total":The number of countries with data stands at: 20 countries.The average value across those countries stands at: 92.82.The standard deviation across those countries stands at: 6.92.The lowest value stands at: 70.41, and was observed in Nigeria, which in this case constitutes the country that ranks last.The highest value stands at: 99.68, and was observed in Georgia, which in this case constitutes the country that ranks first.Looking at countries with values, the top 5 countries are:1. Georgia, actual value 99.68, actual ranking 1.2. Uruguay, actual value 98.91, actual ranking 2.3. United Arab Emirates, actual value 98.81, actual ranking 3.4. West Bank and Gaza, actual value 97.94, actual ranking 4.5. Saudi Arabia, actual value 97.93, actual ranking 5.Looking at countries with values, the bottom 5 countries are:1. Nigeria, actual value 70.41, actual ranking 20.2. Guatemala, actual value 82.11, actual ranking 19.3. Honduras, actual value 88.25, actual ranking 18.4. Cabo Verde, actual value 88.47, actual ranking 17.5. El Salvador, actual value 89.77, actual ranking 16.

In 2020, China had a youth literacy rate of about **** percent. In contrast, Afghanistan's youth literacy rate stood at **** percent in 2021.Indicators for the literacy rateAn indicator which can be seen to affect the literacy rate is the governmental effort in investing in education. The amount of funds invested into the education sector is a factor which can determine a country’s state of education, as the amount of money being spent on education would have an impact on resources, learning environment, and teaching quality. Singapore’s student-teacher ratio in primary education is significantly lower than that of South Asian countries. For instance, Nepal had 20.3 students for every teacher in 2019. Meanwhile, Singaporean teachers only had around **** students on average as of 2020. Notably, South Asia, together with sub-Saharan Africa, had a much higher illiteracy rate compared to the East Asian and Pacific region in 2022. The importance of literacyThe literacy rate indicates the percentage of people within a population who can read and write. This enables them to identify, understand and interpret materials with various contexts. Ensuring literacy for all pupils is a part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) for quality education. This in turn stimulates economic and societal growth for the future.

The average for 2021 based on 11 countries was 98.77 percent. The highest value was in Latvia: 99.89 percent and the lowest value was in Malta: 94.94 percent. The indicator is available from 1970 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

The statistic depicts the literacy rate in Mexico from 2008 to 2020. The literacy rate measures the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can read and write. In 2020, Mexico's literacy rate was around 95.25 percent. The source does not provide data for 2019.Education in MexicoThe literacy rate is commonly defined as the share of people in a country who are older than 15 years and are able to read and write. In Mexico, a state with more than 115 million inhabitants, the literacy rate is above 90 percent, making it significantly higher than the global average. More than 70 percent of Mexico’s population is older than 15 years, a figure than has been quite consistent over the last ten years. Mexico’s compulsory education comprises grades 1 to 9, with an optional secondary education up to grade 12. Literacy is considered basic education. The lowest literacy rates can be found in African countries, the highest in Europe. Additionally, the literacy rate is one of the factors that determines a country’s ranking on the Human Development Index of the United Nations, which ranks the overall well-being of a country’s population. Apart from literacy, it also includes factors such as per-capita income, health and life expectancy and others. Mexico is currently not among the countries with the highest Human Development Index value.

In 2020, the highest percentage of female literacy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region was in Jordan at about **** percent of the females. Within the region, Syria, Libya and Iraq have been suffering from conflict and humanitarian crises.

The average for 2021 based on 4 countries was 90.41 percent. The highest value was in Singapore: 98 percent and the lowest value was in Cambodia: 71.93 percent. The indicator is available from 1970 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

The average for 2021 based on 13 countries was 75.38 percent. The highest value was in Mauritius: 99.58 percent and the lowest value was in Guinea: 49.09 percent. The indicator is available from 1970 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Turkey was up 0.1points of Male Literacy Rate Among 15-24 Years Old in 2019, compared to the previous year.

In 2023, ***** percent of people aged 15 years and above in Africa were able to read and write a simple statement and understand it. Regionally, Southern Africa presented the highest literacy rate, at around ** percent. North and East Africa had similar shares of literate people, at over ** percent. In contrast, **** percent and ** percent of the adult population in Central and West Africa could read and write.

The average for 2021 based on 12 countries was 98.12 percent. The highest value was in Bolivia: 99.5 percent and the lowest value was in Puerto Rico: 92.4 percent. The indicator is available from 1970 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

The average for 2021 based on 13 countries was 81.92 percent. The highest value was in Mauritius: 99.04 percent and the lowest value was in Burkina Faso: 66.65 percent. The indicator is available from 1970 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

In the past five decades, the global literacy rate among adults has grown from 67 percent in 1976 to 87.36 percent in 2023. In 1976, males had a literacy rate of 76 percent, compared to a rate of 58 percent among females. This difference of over 17 percent in 1976 has fallen to just seven percent in 2020. Although gaps in literacy rates have fallen across all regions in recent decades, significant disparities remain across much of South Asia and Africa, while the difference is below one percent in Europe and the Americas. Reasons for these differences are rooted in economic and cultural differences across the globe. In poorer societies, families with limited means are often more likely to invest in their sons' education, while their daughters take up a more domestic role. Varieties do exist on national levels, however, and female literacy levels can sometimes exceed the male rate even in impoverished nations, such as Lesotho (where the difference was over 17 percent in 2014); nonetheless, these are exceptions to the norm.

Time series data for the statistic Literacy_Rate_Adult_Total and country Brazil. Indicator Definition:Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.The statistic "Literacy Rate Adult Total" stands at 94.80 percent as of 12/31/2024, the highest value at least since 12/31/1981, the period currently displayed. Regarding the One-Year-Change of the series, the current value constitutes an increase of 0.2165 percentage points compared to the value the year prior.The 1 year change in percentage points is 0.2165.The 3 year change in percentage points is 0.0156.The 5 year change in percentage points is 0.8986.The 10 year change in percentage points is 3.07.The Serie's long term average value is 91.10 percent. It's latest available value, on 12/31/2024, is 3.70 percentage points higher, compared to it's long term average value.The Serie's change in percentage points from it's minimum value, on 12/31/1980, to it's latest available value, on 12/31/2024, is +20.21.The Serie's change in percentage points from it's maximum value, on 12/31/2024, to it's latest available value, on 12/31/2024, is 0.0.

The average for 2021 based on 3 countries was 95.87 percent. The highest value was in Tonga: 99.4 percent and the lowest value was in Vanuatu: 89.1 percent. The indicator is available from 1970 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Time series data for the statistic Literacy_Rate_Adult_Total and country Georgia. Indicator Definition:Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.The statistic "Literacy Rate Adult Total" stands at 99.68 percent as of 12/31/2024. Regarding the One-Year-Change of the series, the current value constitutes an increase of 0.12 percentage points compared to the value the year prior.The 1 year change in percentage points is 0.12.The 3 year change in percentage points is -0.2856.The 5 year change in percentage points is -0.2221.The 10 year change in percentage points is 0.09.The Serie's long term average value is 99.69 percent. It's latest available value, on 12/31/2024, is 0.0068 percentage points lower, compared to it's long term average value.The Serie's change in percentage points from it's minimum value, on 12/31/2017, to it's latest available value, on 12/31/2024, is +0.32.The Serie's change in percentage points from it's maximum value, on 12/31/2021, to it's latest available value, on 12/31/2024, is -0.286.

Female literacy rate in Nigeria is among the highest in West Africa. However, the difference between male and female literacy rates are substantial in both urban and rural areas. As of 2018, the rate among men living in rural areas of Nigeria reached roughly 60 percent, whereas female literacy rates in the same areas was 35 percent. The gap in urban Nigeria amounted to about ten percentage points.

In West Africa, the highest female literacy rates were registered in Cabo Verde and Ghana, while Nigeria ranked third.

The highest literacy rates in Nigeria were registered in the southern regions of the country. In the South West, 89 percent of males and 80.6 percent of females were literate as of 2018. Also, the south zones showed the lowest percentage differences between male and female literacy. Female literacy rate in Nigeria is among the highest in West Africa. The highest female literacy rates were registered in Cabo Verde and Ghana, while Nigeria ranked third.