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.

There is a gender gap in the global literacy rate. Although literacy rates have generally increased worldwide for both men and women, men are on average more literate than women. As of 2023, about 90.6 percent of men and a little less than 84.1 percent of women worldwide were literate. Adult literacy rate is defined as the percentage of people aged 15 years and above who can both read and write with understanding a short, simple statement about their everyday life. Youth literacy rate Not only does the literacy gender gap concern adults, it also exists among the world’s younger generations aged 15 to 24. Despite an overall increase in literacy, young men are still more literate than young women. In fact, the global youth literacy rate as gender parity index was 0.98 as of 2023, indicating that young women are not yet as literate as young men. Gender pay gap Gender gaps occur in many different spheres of global society. One such issue concerns salary gender gaps in professional life. Regarding the controlled gender pay gap, which measures the median salary for men and women with the same job and qualifications, women still earned less than men as of 2024. The difference was even bigger when measuring the median salary for all men and women. However, not everyone worries about gender pay gaps. According to a survey from 2021, 54 percent of the female respondents deemed the gender pay gap a real problem, compared to 45 percent of the male respondents.

The average for 2021 based on 58 countries was 92.58 percent. The highest value was in Romania: 100 percent and the lowest value was in Afghanistan: 42 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 58 countries was 94.32 percent. The highest value was in Romania: 100 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.

Iraq IQ: Literacy Rate: Adult: % of People Aged 15 and Above data was reported at 43.683 % in 2013. This records a decrease from the previous number of 74.052 % for 2000. Iraq IQ: Literacy Rate: Adult: % of People Aged 15 and Above data is updated yearly, averaging 58.868 % from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2013, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 74.052 % in 2000 and a record low of 43.683 % in 2013. Iraq IQ: Literacy Rate: Adult: % of People Aged 15 and Above data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Iraq – Table IQ.World Bank: Education Statistics. 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.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

The "World Literacy Rate by Country" dataset provides a detailed snapshot of literacy rates across different countries in the world. This dataset is organized into several key columns:

S.No: This column lists the serial number for each country, helping to keep the data organized and easy to reference. Country: This column names the countries included in the dataset, allowing for a clear understanding of which nation each literacy rate pertains to. Literacy rate in percentage: This column shows the literacy rate of each country, expressed as a percentage. This figure represents the proportion of the population that can read and write. Year: This column indicates the year in which the literacy rate was recorded, providing a temporal context for the data. By examining this dataset, you can gain insights into the educational progress and challenges faced by different countries in the world.

Global Adult Literacy Rate by Country, 2023 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

Cameroon CM: Literacy Rate: Adult: % of People Aged 15 and Above data was reported at 78.230 % in 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 77.071 % for 2018. Cameroon CM: Literacy Rate: Adult: % of People Aged 15 and Above data is updated yearly, averaging 70.985 % from Dec 1976 (Median) to 2020, with 6 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 78.230 % in 2020 and a record low of 41.216 % in 1976. Cameroon CM: Literacy Rate: Adult: % of People Aged 15 and Above data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Cameroon – Table CM.World Bank.WDI: Social: Education Statistics. 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.;UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). UIS.Stat Bulk Data Download Service. Accessed October 24, 2022. https://apiportal.uis.unesco.org/bdds.;Weighted average;

India literacy rate for 2022 was 76.32%, a 7.02% increase from 2011.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>India literacy rate for 2011 was <strong>69.30%</strong>, a <strong>6.55% increase</strong> from 2006.</li>
<li>India literacy rate for 2006 was <strong>62.75%</strong>, a <strong>1.74% increase</strong> from 2001.</li>
<li>India literacy rate for 2001 was <strong>61.01%</strong>, a <strong>12.79% increase</strong> from 1991.</li>
</ul>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.

Kenya literacy rate for 2022 was 82.88%, a 4.15% increase from 2014.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>Kenya literacy rate for 2014 was <strong>78.73%</strong>, a <strong>6.58% increase</strong> from 2007.</li>
<li>Kenya literacy rate for 2007 was <strong>72.16%</strong>, a <strong>9.84% decline</strong> from 2000.</li>
<li>Kenya literacy rate for 2000 was <strong>82.00%</strong>, a <strong>82% increase</strong> from .</li>
</ul>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.

Thailand TH: Literacy Rate: Adult: % of People Aged 15 and Above data was reported at 92.868 % in 2015. This records a decrease from the previous number of 93.702 % for 2013. Thailand TH: Literacy Rate: Adult: % of People Aged 15 and Above data is updated yearly, averaging 93.187 % from Dec 1980 (Median) to 2015, with 6 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 96.431 % in 2010 and a record low of 87.982 % in 1980. Thailand TH: Literacy Rate: Adult: % of People Aged 15 and Above data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Thailand – Table TH.World Bank: Education Statistics. 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.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

Angola AO: Literacy Rate: Adult Male: % of Males Aged 15 and Above data was reported at 82.800 % in 2022. This records a decrease from the previous number of 83.773 % for 2015. Angola AO: Literacy Rate: Adult Male: % of Males Aged 15 and Above data is updated yearly, averaging 82.900 % from Dec 2001 (Median) to 2022, with 4 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 83.773 % in 2015 and a record low of 80.000 % in 2014. Angola AO: Literacy Rate: Adult Male: % of Males Aged 15 and Above data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Angola – Table AO.World Bank.WDI: Social: Education Statistics. 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.;UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). UIS.Stat Bulk Data Download Service. Accessed April 5, 2025. https://apiportal.uis.unesco.org/bdds.;Weighted average;

Global Female Adult Literacy Rate by Country, 2023 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

Editor’s Choice

• The Healthcare IT market size is expected to be worth around USD 1728 Bn by 2032
• According to a report by UNESCO, countries in South and South-West Asia have the highest number of illiterate adults in the world, estimated at 388 million.
• Approximately 36% of adult Americans possess only basic or below basic health literacy skills.
• Only 12% of Americans are considered proficient in their health literacy skills.
• Health literacy levels in China increased from 6.48% of the population in 2008 to 23.15% in 2020.
• A recent study analyzing global health literacy research from 1995 to 2020 identified the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom as major contributors to the international collaboration network on health literacy.
• Mental health has been the most active research field in recent years in the context of health literacy.

Global Literacy Rate Among Male Youth by Country, 2023 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

In the past five decades, the global literacy rate among youths aged 15 to 24 years has grown from 77 percent in 1975 to 92.84 percent in 2023. In 1975, young men had a literacy rate of 84 percent, compared to a rate of seventy percent among women. This difference of over 14 percent in 1975 has fallen to just two percent in 2019; among the total adult population, the gap in literacy rates is over seven percent.

Laos LA: Literacy Rate: Adult Male: % of Males Aged 15 and Above data was reported at 67.359 % in 2011. This records a decrease from the previous number of 82.452 % for 2005. Laos LA: Literacy Rate: Adult Male: % of Males Aged 15 and Above data is updated yearly, averaging 77.006 % from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2011, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 82.452 % in 2005 and a record low of 67.359 % in 2011. Laos LA: Literacy Rate: Adult Male: % of Males Aged 15 and Above data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Laos – Table LA.World Bank.WDI: Education Statistics. 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.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

The average for 2021 based on 13 countries was 86.52 percent. The highest value was in Uzbekistan: 100 percent and the lowest value was in Afghanistan: 37 percent. The indicator is available from 1970 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Mexico literacy rate for 2020 was 95.00%, a 0% increase from 2018.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>Mexico literacy rate for 2018 was <strong>95.00%</strong>, a <strong>0% increase</strong> from 2017.</li>
<li>Mexico literacy rate for 2017 was <strong>95.00%</strong>, a <strong>0% increase</strong> from 2016.</li>
<li>Mexico literacy rate for 2016 was <strong>95.00%</strong>, a <strong>1% increase</strong> from 2015.</li>
</ul>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.

This statistic depicts literacy rates worldwide as of 2012, by WHO region. As of that year, it was estimated that some 64 percent of the Afrcian population aged 15 years and over were literate. In comparison, there were 99 percent literate persons in Europe.