Which Countries Have the Highest (and Lowest) Literacy Rates in the World?

By: Jordin Frey | 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

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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
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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