By: U.S. Career Institute
February 2024
As a whole, the world has a very high literacy rate, but the literacy rate in countries around the world varies greatly. While the global average literacy rate overall is 86.81%, some countries have a rate that is much lower than that. In fact, there are more than a dozen countries that have less than a 50% literacy rate. What contributes to low literacy rates, and which countries come out have the highest rates of literate individuals?
U.S. Career Institute researchers looked at the literacy rate by country based on the most recently available data to determine which countries have the highest and lowest literacy rates.
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Literacy Rates by Country
Literacy rates in this graphic are defined as the percentage of people over the age of 15 that can read and write. There are nine countries in the world that have a 100% literacy rate: Andorra, Finland, Greenland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and North Korea. There are 37 countries with a literacy rate of higher than 99.0% The United States has a literacy rate of 99.0% along with other countries like Sweden, Australia, Germany, United Kingdom, Ireland, and France.
On the other end of the spectrum, eight countries have a literacy rate of less than 40%: Chad (26.76%), Mali (30.76%), South Sudan (34.52%), Botswana (36.75%), Afghanistan (37.27%), Niger (37.27%), Niger (37.34%), Central African Republic (37.49%), and Somalia (37.80%). All of these countries are located in Africa. Unfortunately, there are many factors that contribute to low literacy rates in African countries. Due to poverty in some parts of the continent, instead of going to school, children are sent to work to help their families.
How Do Other Countries Rank?
The Japan literacy rate is 99.0%, the same as the United States and many other developed countries. The Mexico literacy rate is slightly lower at 95.25%, which is among the highest in North America. The China literacy rate is 97.15%, just under American Samoa.
Overall, more than 75% of illiterate adults in the world are located in South Asia, West Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. All of the countries with 100% literacy rates are located in developed countries in the world.
Literacy and Poverty
Impoverished countries generally have lower literacy rates. Education for children is less available, and many families that are struggling may need their children to work to bring in income to the household, so education is not prioritized. Some of the poorest countries in the world have the lowest literacy rates.
There is also a gap in literacy between males and females. Nearly two-thirds of adults around the world that can't read or write are female. In less-developed countries, women are often expected to care for the home and children while men go to work. There is less of a literacy gender gap in more developed countries.
How To Improve Literacy in Children
Literacy rates are determined by the number of people that can read and write. There are many ways to improve literacy development. Some of the recommended strategies include:
- Start a reading routine at a young age. Incorporating a book into a child's bedtime routine can help them start identifying words by sight and instill a love of reading.
- Practice sight words. Create a list of common words that can be read easily without sounding out the letters. This can be helpful for increasing vocabulary and establishing phonemic awareness.
- Select books based on personal interests. Have children look at the front and back of the book as well as the illustrations inside. If the topic interests them, they will be more likely to have enthusiasm about reading.
- Have books displayed around the home and have your children see you read. Talking about books and having them present in the household is a good way to encourage young readers to pick one up.
- Practice motor development skills. Gross motor skills like climbing and running help develop fine motor skills that will help with writing.
- Encourage your child to start journaling. Provide creative writing prompts and a notebook and ask them to respond to the prompts or create their own stories.
- Guide literacy in every day activities. Help children read instructions for games, recipes for dinner, and the backs of cereal boxes. Normalizing reading can build strong literacy skills.
Looking for an online high school program to help improve your reading and writing? U.S. Career Institute has many options to help you complete your education online.
Countries With the Highest Literacy Rates
Based on percentage of population over the age of 15 who can read and write.
|
Rank |
Country |
Literacy rate (%) |
|
1 |
Andorra |
100.00 |
|
1 |
Finland |
100.00 |
|
1 |
Greenland |
100.00 |
|
1 |
Liechtenstein |
100.00 |
|
1 |
Luxembourg |
100.00 |
|
1 |
Norway |
100.00 |
|
1 |
Ukraine |
100.00 |
|
1 |
Uzbekistan |
100.00 |
|
1 |
North Korea |
100.00 |
|
10 |
Latvia |
99.89 |
|
11 |
Belarus |
99.87 |
|
12 |
Estonia |
99.87 |
|
13 |
Lithuania |
99.83 |
|
14 |
Czechia |
99.83 |
|
15 |
Kazakhstan |
99.80 |
|
15 |
Poland |
99.80 |
|
15 |
Tajikistan |
99.80 |
|
15 |
Azerbaijan |
99.80 |
|
19 |
Guam |
99.79 |
|
19 |
Armenia |
99.79 |
|
21 |
Barbados |
99.70 |
|
21 |
Russia |
99.70 |
|
21 |
Slovenia |
99.70 |
|
21 |
Turkmenistan |
99.70 |
|
25 |
Cuba |
99.67 |
|
26 |
Slovakia |
99.60 |
|
26 |
Kyrgyzstan |
99.60 |
|
26 |
Moldova |
99.60 |
|
29 |
Georgia |
99.56 |
|
30 |
Serbia |
99.48 |
|
31 |
Croatia |
99.45 |
|
32 |
Tonga |
99.40 |
|
33 |
Cyprus |
99.36 |
|
34 |
Italy |
99.35 |
|
35 |
Mongolia |
99.18 |
|
36 |
Hungary |
99.10 |
|
36 |
Samoa |
99.10 |
|
38 |
Australia |
99.00 |
|
38 |
Belgium |
99.00 |
|
38 |
Canada |
99.00 |
|
38 |
Switzerland |
99.00 |
|
38 |
Germany |
99.00 |
|
38 |
Denmark |
99.00 |
|
38 |
France |
99.00 |
|
38 |
United Kingdom |
99.00 |
|
38 |
Ireland |
99.00 |
|
38 |
Iceland |
99.00 |
|
38 |
Japan |
99.00 |
|
38 |
Monaco |
99.00 |
|
38 |
Netherlands |
99.00 |
|
38 |
New Zealand |
99.00 |
|
38 |
Sweden |
99.00 |
|
38 |
United States |
99.00 |
Countries With the Lowest Literacy Rates
|
Rank |
Country |
Literacy rate |
|
1 |
Chad |
26.76 |
|
2 |
Mali |
30.76 |
|
3 |
South Sudan |
34.52 |
|
4 |
Botswana |
36.75 |
|
5 |
Afghanistan |
37.27 |
|
6 |
Niger |
37.34 |
|
7 |
Central African Republic |
37.49 |
|
8 |
Somalia |
37.80 |
|
9 |
Guinea |
45.33 |
|
10 |
Benin |
45.84 |
|
11 |
Burkina Faso |
46.04 |
|
12 |
Sierra Leone |
47.70 |
|
13 |
Liberia |
48.30 |
|
14 |
Ethiopia |
51.77 |
|
15 |
Guinea-Bissau |
52.89 |
|
16 |
Yemen |
54.10 |
|
17 |
Senegal |
56.30 |
|
18 |
Pakistan |
58.00 |
|
19 |
Gambia, The |
58.06 |
|
20 |
Sudan |
60.70 |
|
21 |
Papua New Guinea |
61.60 |
|
22 |
Haiti |
61.69 |
|
23 |
Comoros |
61.99 |
|
24 |
Nigeria |
62.02 |
|
25 |
Mozambique |
63.42 |
|
26 |
Togo |
66.54 |
|
27 |
Mauritania |
66.96 |
|
28 |
Malawi |
67.31 |
|
29 |
Djibouti |
67.90 |
|
30 |
East Timor |
69.90 |
|
31 |
Bhutan |
70.95 |
|
32 |
Nepal |
71.15 |
|
33 |
Angola |
72.28 |
|
34 |
Egypt, Arab Rep. |
73.09 |
|
35 |
India |
74.37 |
|
36 |
Burundi |
74.71 |
|
37 |
Bangladesh |
74.91 |
|
38 |
Rwanda |
75.90 |
|
39 |
Morocco |
75.93 |
|
40 |
Eritrea |
76.57 |
|
41 |
Solomon Islands |
76.60 |
|
42 |
Madagascar |
77.25 |
|
43 |
Cameroon |
78.23 |
|
44 |
Uganda |
79.00 |
|
45 |
Gibraltar |
80.00 |
|
46 |
Congo, Dem. Rep. |
80.02 |
|
47 |
Ghana |
80.38 |
|
48 |
Congo, Rep. |
80.61 |
|
49 |
Lesotho |
81.02 |
|
50 |
Algeria |
81.41 |
Full List of Country Literacy Rates
|
Country |
Literacy rate |
|
Andorra |
100.00 |
|
Finland |
100.00 |
|
Greenland |
100.00 |
|
Liechtenstein |
100.00 |
|
Luxembourg |
100.00 |
|
Norway |
100.00 |
|
Ukraine |
100.00 |
|
Uzbekistan |
100.00 |
|
North Korea |
100.00 |
|
Latvia |
99.89 |
|
Belarus |
99.87 |
|
Estonia |
99.87 |
|
Lithuania |
99.83 |
|
Czechia |
99.83 |
|
Kazakhstan |
99.80 |
|
Poland |
99.80 |
|
Tajikistan |
99.80 |
|
Azerbaijan |
99.80 |
|
Guam |
99.79 |
|
Armenia |
99.79 |
|
Barbados |
99.70 |
|
Russia |
99.70 |
|
Slovenia |
99.70 |
|
Turkmenistan |
99.70 |
|
Cuba |
99.67 |
|
Slovakia |
99.60 |
|
Kyrgyzstan |
99.60 |
|
Moldova |
99.60 |
|
Georgia |
99.56 |
|
Serbia |
99.48 |
|
Croatia |
99.45 |
|
Tonga |
99.40 |
|
Cyprus |
99.36 |
|
Italy |
99.35 |
|
Mongolia |
99.18 |
|
Hungary |
99.10 |
|
Samoa |
99.10 |
|
Australia |
99.00 |
|
Belgium |
99.00 |
|
Canada |
99.00 |
|
Switzerland |
99.00 |
|
Germany |
99.00 |
|
Denmark |
99.00 |
|
France |
99.00 |
|
United Kingdom |
99.00 |
|
Ireland |
99.00 |
|
Iceland |
99.00 |
|
Japan |
99.00 |
|
Monaco |
99.00 |
|
Netherlands |
99.00 |
|
New Zealand |
99.00 |
|
Sweden |
99.00 |
|
United States |
99.00 |
|
Montenegro |
98.98 |
|
Antigua and Barbuda |
98.95 |
|
Romania |
98.90 |
|
Cayman Islands |
98.87 |
|
South Korea |
98.80 |
|
Uruguay |
98.77 |
|
Trinidad and Tobago |
98.70 |
|
Grenada |
98.60 |
|
Spain |
98.59 |
|
North America |
98.59 |
|
Albania |
98.45 |
|
Bulgaria |
98.42 |
|
Jordan |
98.42 |
|
Marshall Islands |
98.27 |
|
United Arab Emirates |
98.13 |
|
Bosnia and Herzegovina |
98.10 |
|
Argentina |
98.09 |
|
Costa Rica |
98.04 |
|
Austria |
98.00 |
|
Bermuda |
98.00 |
|
French Polynesia |
98.00 |
|
Turks and Caicos Islands |
98.00 |
|
Aruba |
97.99 |
|
Greece |
97.94 |
|
Maldives |
97.86 |
|
North Macedonia |
97.80 |
|
New Caledonia |
97.80 |
|
St. Kitts and Nevis |
97.80 |
|
Kiribati |
97.70 |
|
Brunei Darussalam |
97.59 |
|
Saudi Arabia |
97.59 |
|
West Bank and Gaza |
97.51 |
|
Venezuela |
97.50 |
|
American Samoa |
97.34 |
|
China |
97.15 |
|
Singapore |
97.13 |
|
Macao |
97.11 |
|
Israel |
97.10 |
|
Chile |
97.04 |
|
Northern Mariana Islands |
97.00 |
|
Portugal |
96.78 |
|
Palau |
96.59 |
|
Kuwait |
96.46 |
|
Philippines |
96.28 |
|
Seychelles |
96.20 |
|
San Marino |
96.00 |
|
Indonesia |
96.00 |
|
Vietnam |
95.75 |
|
Panama |
95.74 |
|
Turkey |
95.69 |
|
Oman |
95.65 |
|
Colombia |
95.64 |
|
St. Vincent and the Grenadines |
95.63 |
|
Bahamas |
95.60 |
|
Lebanon |
95.30 |
|
Mexico |
95.25 |
|
Dominican Republic |
95.17 |
|
South Africa |
95.02 |
|
Suriname |
95.00 |
|
Malaysia |
94.97 |
|
Malta |
94.94 |
|
Paraguay |
94.54 |
|
Peru |
94.50 |
|
Ecuador |
94.48 |
|
Equatorial Guinea |
94.37 |
|
Brazil |
94.30 |
|
Thailand |
94.10 |
|
Dominica |
94.00 |
|
Bolivia |
93.85 |
|
Sao Tome and Principe |
93.80 |
|
Fiji |
93.70 |
|
Hong Kong |
93.50 |
|
Qatar |
93.46 |
|
Puerto Rico |
92.40 |
|
Sri Lanka |
92.38 |
|
Bahrain |
92.30 |
|
Namibia |
92.25 |
|
Mauritius |
92.15 |
|
Cabo Verde |
90.78 |
|
St. Lucia |
90.10 |
|
El Salvador |
89.98 |
|
Cote d'Ivoire |
89.89 |
|
Zimbabwe |
89.70 |
|
Eswatini |
89.28 |
|
Vanuatu |
89.10 |
|
Myanmar |
89.07 |
|
Micronesia, Fed. Sts. |
89.00 |
|
Guyana |
88.85 |
|
Iran |
88.74 |
|
Honduras |
88.51 |
|
Jamaica |
88.10 |
|
Zambia |
87.50 |
|
Lao PDR |
87.07 |
|
World |
86.81 |
|
Syrian Arab Republic |
86.30 |
|
Libya |
86.10 |
|
Iraq |
85.60 |
|
Gabon |
85.46 |
|
Cambodia |
83.91 |
|
Guatemala |
83.35 |
|
Belize |
82.78 |
|
Tunisia |
82.70 |
|
Kenya |
82.62 |
|
Nicaragua |
82.61 |
|
Tanzania |
81.80 |
|
Algeria |
81.41 |
|
Lesotho |
81.02 |
|
Congo, Rep. |
80.61 |
|
Ghana |
80.38 |
|
Congo, Dem. Rep. |
80.02 |
|
Gibraltar |
80.00 |
|
Uganda |
79.00 |
|
Cameroon |
78.23 |
|
Madagascar |
77.25 |
|
Solomon Islands |
76.60 |
|
Eritrea |
76.57 |
|
Morocco |
75.93 |
|
Rwanda |
75.90 |
|
Bangladesh |
74.91 |
|
Burundi |
74.71 |
|
India |
74.37 |
|
Egypt, Arab Rep. |
73.09 |
|
Angola |
72.28 |
|
Nepal |
71.15 |
|
Bhutan |
70.95 |
|
East Timor |
69.90 |
|
Djibouti |
67.90 |
|
Malawi |
67.31 |
|
Mauritania |
66.96 |
|
Togo |
66.54 |
|
Mozambique |
63.42 |
|
Nigeria |
62.02 |
|
Comoros |
61.99 |
|
Haiti |
61.69 |
|
Papua New Guinea |
61.60 |
|
Sudan |
60.70 |
|
Gambia, The |
58.06 |
|
Pakistan |
58.00 |
|
Senegal |
56.30 |
|
Yemen |
54.10 |
|
Guinea-Bissau |
52.89 |
|
Ethiopia |
51.77 |
|
Liberia |
48.30 |
|
Sierra Leone |
47.70 |
|
Burkina Faso |
46.04 |
|
Benin |
45.84 |
|
Guinea |
45.33 |
|
Somalia |
37.80 |
|
Central African Republic |
37.49 |
|
Niger |
37.34 |
|
Afghanistan |
37.27 |
|
Botswana |
36.75 |
|
South Sudan |
34.52 |
|
Mali |
30.76 |
|
Chad |
26.76 |
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