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NationsTreeRanking · latest available · data as of 26 October 2026 · printed 27 Oct 2026
Adult literacy (%)
Share of adults (15+) who can read and write a short simple statement about everyday life. Higher is better.
Source: World Bank · World Development Indicators · SE.ADT.LITR.ZS
Top 5 over time
Dashed line: world median| # | Country | Region | Adult literacy% | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Tuvalu |
East Asia & Pacific | 100.0% | 2022 |
| 1 |  Uzbekistan |
Europe & Central Asia | 100.0% | 2022 |
| 3 |  Russia |
Europe & Central Asia | 99.9% | 2021 |
| 4 |  San Marino |
Europe & Central Asia | 99.9% | 2022 |
| 5 |  Turkmenistan |
Europe & Central Asia | 99.9% | 2022 |
| 6 |  Palau |
East Asia & Pacific | 99.8% | 2020 |
| 7 |  Armenia |
Europe & Central Asia | 99.8% | 2023 |
| 8 |  Azerbaijan |
Europe & Central Asia | 99.8% | 2023 |
| 9 |  Spain |
Europe & Central Asia | 99.7% | 2021 |
| 10 |  Georgia |
Europe & Central Asia | 99.7% | 2024 |
| 11 |  Tonga |
East Asia & Pacific | 99.5% | 2023 |
| 12 |  Serbia |
Europe & Central Asia | 99.3% | 2022 |
| 13 |  Romania |
Europe & Central Asia | 99.2% | 2021 |
| 14 |  Argentina |
Latin America & Caribbean | 99.1% | 2020 |
| 15 |  Uruguay |
Latin America & Caribbean | 98.9% | 2024 |
| 16 |  United Arab Emirates |
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 98.8% | 2024 |
| 17 |  Mongolia |
East Asia & Pacific | 98.6% | 2024 |
| 18 |  Kiribati |
East Asia & Pacific | 98.6% | 2020 |
| 19 |  Philippines |
East Asia & Pacific | 98.5% | 2020 |
| 20 |  Palestine |
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 97.9% | 2024 |
| 21 |  Saudi Arabia |
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 97.9% | 2024 |
| 22 |  Bahrain |
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 97.8% | 2024 |
| 23 |  Albania |
Europe & Central Asia | 97.7% | 2023 |
| 24 |  Singapore |
East Asia & Pacific | 97.7% | 2021 |
| 25 |  Oman |
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 97.3% | 2022 |
| 26 |  Türkiye |
Europe & Central Asia | 97.3% | 2021 |
| 27 |  China |
East Asia & Pacific | 96.7% | 2020 |
| 28 |  Bolivia |
Latin America & Caribbean | 96.7% | 2024 |
| 29 |  Naoero |
East Asia & Pacific | 96.6% | 2023 |
| 30 |  Kuwait |
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 96.5% | 2020 |
| 31 |  Panama |
Latin America & Caribbean | 96.2% | 2024 |
| 32 |  Vietnam |
East Asia & Pacific | 96.1% | 2022 |
| 33 |  Indonesia |
East Asia & Pacific | 96.0% | 2020 |
| 34 |  Malaysia |
East Asia & Pacific | 95.8% | 2022 |
| 35 |  Marshall Islands |
East Asia & Pacific | 95.8% | 2021 |
| 36 |  Mexico |
Latin America & Caribbean | 95.6% | 2024 |
| 37 |  Colombia |
Latin America & Caribbean | 95.3% | 2024 |
| 38 |  Paraguay |
Latin America & Caribbean | 94.9% | 2024 |
| 39 |  Brazil |
Latin America & Caribbean | 94.7% | 2024 |
| 40 |  Jordan |
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 94.4% | 2024 |
| 41 |  Syria |
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 94.4% | 2021 |
| 42 |  Mauritius |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 94.3% | 2023 |
| 43 |  Dominican Republic |
Latin America & Caribbean | 94.0% | 2024 |
| 44 |  Peru |
Latin America & Caribbean | 93.7% | 2024 |
| 45 |  Myanmar |
East Asia & Pacific | 93.5% | 2020 |
| 46 |  Ecuador |
Latin America & Caribbean | 93.5% | 2024 |
| 47 |  Sri Lanka |
South Asia | 92.7% | 2024 |
| 48 |  South Africa |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 91.2% | 2024 |
| 49 |  Thailand |
East Asia & Pacific | 91.1% | 2022 |
| 50 |  Eswatini |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 90.8% | 2022 |
| 51 |  Lesotho |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 90.4% | 2024 |
| 52 |  El Salvador |
Latin America & Caribbean | 89.8% | 2024 |
| 53 |  Iran |
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 88.9% | 2023 |
| 54 |  Gabon |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 88.9% | 2021 |
| 55 |  Cabo Verde |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 88.5% | 2024 |
| 56 |  Honduras |
Latin America & Caribbean | 88.3% | 2024 |
| 57 |  Vanuatu |
East Asia & Pacific | 88.0% | 2023 |
| 58 |  Belize |
Latin America & Caribbean | 87.9% | 2022 |
| 59 |  Namibia |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 87.6% | 2023 |
| 60 |  Papua New Guinea |
East Asia & Pacific | 87.0% | 2022 |
| 61 |  Tunisia |
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 86.3% | 2023 |
| 62 |  Guyana |
Latin America & Caribbean | 85.6% | 2020 |
| 63 |  Iraq |
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 84.1% | 2021 |
| 64 |  Guatemala |
Latin America & Caribbean | 82.1% | 2024 |
| 65 |  Egypt |
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 79.5% | 2022 |
| 66 |  Bangladesh |
South Asia | 79.0% | 2022 |
| 67 |  Rwanda |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 78.8% | 2022 |
| 68 |  Tanzania |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 78.2% | 2022 |
| 69 |  India |
South Asia | 78.2% | 2024 |
| 70 |  Uganda |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 77.0% | 2024 |
| 71 |  Ghana |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 76.5% | 2021 |
| 72 |  Laos |
East Asia & Pacific | 75.6% | 2023 |
| 73 |  Comoros |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 75.6% | 2021 |
| 74 |  Madagascar |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 74.7% | 2021 |
| 75 |  Togo |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 72.6% | 2022 |
| 76 |  Cambodia |
East Asia & Pacific | 71.9% | 2021 |
| 77 |  Zambia |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 71.8% | 2024 |
| 78 |  Burundi |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 71.3% | 2020 |
| 79 |  Nigeria |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 70.4% | 2024 |
| 80 |  Malawi |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 70.2% | 2020 |
| 81 |  Timor-Leste |
East Asia & Pacific | 69.4% | 2022 |
| 82 |  DR Congo |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 68.5% | 2023 |
| 83 |  Angola |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 68.2% | 2023 |
| 84 |  Bhutan |
South Asia | 64.9% | 2022 |
| 85 |  Guinea-Bissau |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 63.9% | 2022 |
| 86 |  Mozambique |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 61.7% | 2022 |
| 87 |  Ethiopia |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 60.5% | 2022 |
| 88 |  Mauritania |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 59.5% | 2020 |
| 89 |  Pakistan |
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 58.9% | 2021 |
| 90 |  Somalia, Fed. Rep. |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 54.1% | 2022 |
| 91 |  Gambia |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 51.6% | 2021 |
| 92 |  Benin |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 51.4% | 2022 |
| 93 |  Senegal |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 50.4% | 2023 |
| 94 |  Côte d'Ivoire |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 50.0% | 2021 |
| 95 |  Burkina Faso |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 41.6% | 2023 |
| 96 |  Afghanistan |
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 37.3% | 2021 |
| 97 |  Mali |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 35.6% | 2024 |
| 98 |  Niger |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 35.6% | 2022 |
| — |  Algeria |
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 75.1% | 2008 |
| — |  Antigua and Barbuda |
Latin America & Caribbean | 98.9% | 2001 |
| — |  Aruba |
Latin America & Caribbean | 96.8% | 2010 |
| — |  Belarus |
Europe & Central Asia | 99.9% | 2019 |
| — |  Bosnia and Herzegovina |
Europe & Central Asia | 97.0% | 2013 |
| — |  Botswana |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 81.2% | 2003 |
| — |  Brunei |
East Asia & Pacific | 96.1% | 2011 |
| — |  Bulgaria |
Europe & Central Asia | 98.3% | 2011 |
| — |  Cameroon |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 72.6% | 2018 |
| — |  Cayman Islands |
Latin America & Caribbean | 98.9% | 2017 |
| — |  Central African Republic |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 42.4% | 2019 |
| — |  Chad |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 30.6% | 2019 |
| — |  Chile |
Latin America & Caribbean | 96.4% | 2017 |
| — |  Congo |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 76.1% | 2005 |
| — |  Costa Rica |
Latin America & Caribbean | 97.4% | 2011 |
| — |  Croatia |
Europe & Central Asia | 98.2% | 2001 |
| — |  Cuba |
Latin America & Caribbean | 97.7% | 2019 |
| — |  Cyprus |
Europe & Central Asia | 98.7% | 2011 |
| — |  Equatorial Guinea |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 88.3% | 2000 |
| — |  Eritrea |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 64.7% | 2008 |
| — |  Estonia |
Europe & Central Asia | 99.9% | 2011 |
| — |  Greece |
Europe & Central Asia | 93.9% | 2009 |
| — |  Guam |
East Asia & Pacific | 99.4% | 1990 |
| — |  Guinea |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 39.6% | 2018 |
| — |  Haiti |
Latin America & Caribbean | 68.0% | 2017 |
| — |  Italy |
Europe & Central Asia | 99.3% | 2019 |
| — |  Jamaica |
Latin America & Caribbean | 79.9% | 1999 |
| — |  Kazakhstan |
Europe & Central Asia | 99.7% | 2009 |
| — |  Kenya |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 82.2% | 2000 |
| — |  Kyrgyzstan |
Europe & Central Asia | 99.2% | 2009 |
| — |  Latvia |
Europe & Central Asia | 99.9% | 2011 |
| — |  Lebanon |
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 92.0% | 2019 |
| — |  Liberia |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 59.4% | 2010 |
| — |  Lithuania |
Europe & Central Asia | 99.8% | 2011 |
| — |  Macao |
East Asia & Pacific | 96.5% | 2016 |
| — |  Maldives |
South Asia | 98.2% | 2019 |
| — |  Malta |
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 93.3% | 2011 |
| — |  Moldova |
Europe & Central Asia | 99.4% | 2014 |
| — |  Montenegro |
Europe & Central Asia | 98.5% | 2018 |
| — |  Morocco |
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 64.3% | 2014 |
| — |  Nepal |
South Asia | 68.7% | 2019 |
| — |  New Caledonia |
East Asia & Pacific | 96.1% | 1996 |
| — |  Nicaragua |
Latin America & Caribbean | 87.3% | 2014 |
| — |  North Korea |
East Asia & Pacific | 100.0% | 2008 |
| — |  North Macedonia |
Europe & Central Asia | 96.1% | 2002 |
| — |  Portugal |
Europe & Central Asia | 94.5% | 2011 |
| — |  Puerto Rico (US) |
Latin America & Caribbean | 92.4% | 2017 |
| — |  Qatar |
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 97.8% | 2014 |
| — |  Samoa |
East Asia & Pacific | 98.0% | 2019 |
| — |  Seychelles |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 93.9% | 2010 |
| — |  Sierra Leone |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 43.6% | 2019 |
| — |  Slovenia |
Europe & Central Asia | 99.5% | 1991 |
| — |  Solomon Islands |
East Asia & Pacific | 76.6% | 1999 |
| — |  South Korea |
East Asia & Pacific | 98.0% | 2008 |
| — |  South Sudan |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 26.8% | 2008 |
| — |  Sudan |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 53.5% | 2008 |
| — |  Suriname |
Latin America & Caribbean | 92.9% | 2012 |
| — |  São Tomé and Príncipe |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 87.4% | 2019 |
| — |  Tajikistan |
Europe & Central Asia | 99.7% | 2009 |
| — |  Trinidad and Tobago |
Latin America & Caribbean | 96.9% | 1990 |
| — |  Ukraine |
Europe & Central Asia | 99.4% | 2001 |
| — |  Venezuela |
Latin America & Caribbean | 97.2% | 2017 |
| — |  Yemen |
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 37.1% | 1994 |
| — |  Zimbabwe |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 93.2% | 2019 |
Latest value per country. Ranked: countries with data from the last 5 years of the series; older values are listed below without a rank. 98 ranked.