SEARCH ALL
FACTS & STATISTICS
Advanced view
Search encyclopedia, statistics and forums:
SOURCE
All
CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
DEFINITION
This entry includes a definition of literacy and Census Bureau percentages for the total population, males, and females. There are no universal definitions and standards of literacy. Unless otherwise specified, all rates are based on the most common definition - the ability to read and write at a specified age. Detailing the standards that individual countries use to assess the ability to read and write is beyond the scope of our source. Information on literacy, while not a perfect measure of educational results, is probably the most easily available and valid for international comparisons.
Education Statistics > Literacy > Female (most recent) by country
Showing latest available data.
Select another time period:
Most recent
1970
1980
1995
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
Rank
Countries
Amount
Date
= 1
Finland :
100%
2000
= 1
Georgia :
100%
2004
= 1
Greenland :
100%
2001
= 1
Luxembourg :
100%
2000
= 5
Estonia :
99.8%
2003
= 5
Latvia :
99.8%
2003
= 7
Barbados :
99.7%
2002
= 7
Poland :
99.7%
2003
= 7
Samoa :
99.7%
2003
= 10
Lithuania :
99.6%
2003
= 10
Slovakia :
99.6%
2001
= 10
Slovenia :
99.6%
2003
= 10
Ukraine :
99.6%
2003
= 14
Belarus :
99.5%
2003
= 14
Russia :
99.5%
2003
= 16
Hungary :
99.3%
2003
= 16
Kazakhstan :
99.3%
1999
# 18
Tajikistan :
99.1%
2003
= 19
New Zealand :
99%
2003
= 19
Japan :
99%
2002
= 19
Bermuda :
99%
2005
= 19
Uzbekistan :
99%
2003
= 19
Belgium :
99%
2003
= 19
Monaco :
99%
2003
= 19
Canada :
99%
2003
= 19
Switzerland :
99%
2003
= 19
Denmark :
99%
2003
= 19
Iceland :
99%
2003
= 19
Ireland :
99%
2003
= 19
Mongolia :
99%
2003
= 19
Czech Republic :
99%
2003
= 19
Netherlands :
99%
2003
= 19
France :
99%
2003
= 19
Sweden :
99%
2003
= 19
United Kingdom :
99%
2003
= 19
Tonga :
99%
1999
= 19
Australia :
99%
2003
= 19
United States :
99%
2003
= 19
Germany :
99%
2003
# 40
Moldova :
98.6%
2005
# 41
Guyana :
98.5%
2003
# 42
Uruguay :
98.4%
2003
= 43
Italy :
98.3%
2003
= 43
Turkmenistan :
98.3%
1999
= 45
Azerbaijan :
98.2%
2003
= 45
Bulgaria :
98.2%
2003
= 47
Kyrgyzstan :
98.1%
1999
= 47
Martinique :
98.1%
2003
= 49
Saint Kitts and Nevis :
98%
1980
= 49
Turks and Caicos Islands :
98%
1970
= 49
Grenada :
98%
1970
= 49
Cayman Islands :
98%
1970
= 49
Trinidad and Tobago :
98%
2003
= 49
Armenia :
98%
2003
# 55
Croatia :
97.8%
2003
# 56
Romania :
97.7%
2003
# 57
Maldives :
97.3%
2003
# 58
Spain :
97.2%
2003
= 59
Argentina :
97.1%
2003
= 59
Aruba :
97.1%
2000
= 61
Montserrat :
97%
1970
= 61
American Samoa :
97%
1980
= 61
Korea, South :
97%
2003
# 64
Cuba :
96.9%
2003
# 65
Netherlands Antilles :
96.8%
2003
= 66
Bahamas, The :
96.5%
2003
= 66
Greece :
96.5%
2003
# 68
Cyprus :
96.3%
2003
= 69
Chile :
96.1%
2003
= 69
Costa Rica :
96.1%
2003
= 71
Northern Mariana Islands :
96%
1980
= 71
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines :
96%
1970
# 73
Israel :
95.9%
2004
# 74
Philippines :
95.8%
2003
# 75
Thailand :
94.6%
2003
# 76
Lesotho :
94.5%
2003
= 77
Bosnia and Herzegovina :
94.4%
2000
= 77
Puerto Rico :
94.4%
2002
= 79
Belize :
94.1%
2003
= 79
Macedonia, Republic of :
94.1%
2002
= 79
Serbia and Montenegro :
94.1%
2003
# 82
Dominica :
94%
2003
# 83
Marshall Islands :
93.7%
1999
# 84
Malta :
93.6%
2003
# 85
Venezuela :
93.1%
2003
# 86
Paraguay :
93%
2003
# 87
Colombia :
92.7%
2004
= 88
Seychelles :
92.3%
2003
= 88
Vietnam :
92.3%
2003
# 90
Macau :
92%
2003
= 91
Fiji :
91.9%
2003
= 91
Panama :
91.9%
2003
# 93
Jamaica :
91.6%
2003
# 94
Portugal :
91.3%
2003
= 95
Kuwait :
91%
2005
= 95
Ecuador :
91%
2003
# 97
Réunion :
90.8%
2003
# 98
Saint Lucia :
90.6%
2001
# 99
Hong Kong :
90.5%
2003
= 100
Sri Lanka :
90%
2003
= 100
Palau :
90%
1980
# 102
Singapore :
89.7%
2003
# 103
Mexico :
89.6%
2004
# 104
Brazil :
88.8%
2004
# 105
Qatar :
88.6%
2004
# 106
Brunei :
88.5%
2003
= 107
West Bank :
88%
2004
= 107
Gaza Strip :
88%
2004
= 107
Micronesia, Federated States of :
88%
1980
= 110
Zimbabwe :
87.2%
2003
= 110
Suriname :
87.2%
2004
# 112
Indonesia :
86.8%
2004
# 113
South Africa :
85.7%
2003
# 114
Malaysia :
85.4%
2003
# 115
Bahrain :
85%
2003
# 116
Dominican Republic :
84.8%
2003
# 117
Jordan :
84.7%
2003
# 118
Namibia :
83.7%
2003
# 119
Mauritius :
82.7%
2003
# 120
Lebanon :
82.2%
2003
# 121
Peru :
82.1%
2004
# 122
Botswana :
81.8%
2003
# 123
United Arab Emirates :
81.7%
2003
# 124
Bolivia :
81.6%
2003
# 125
Burma :
81.4%
2002
# 126
Swaziland :
80.8%
2003
# 127
Kenya :
79.7%
2003
# 128
Turkey :
79.6%
2004
# 129
Albania :
79.5%
2003
# 130
Taiwan :
79%
1980
# 131
China :
78.8%
2003
= 132
Congo, Republic of the :
78.4%
2003
= 132
Equatorial Guinea :
78.4%
2003
# 134
São Tomé and Príncipe :
77.9%
2001
# 135
El Salvador :
77.7%
2003
# 136
Honduras :
76.3%
2003
# 137
Zambia :
74.8%
2003
# 138
Syria :
73.6%
2004
# 139
Oman :
73.5%
2003
# 140
Cameroon :
73.4%
2003
# 141
Iran :
73%
2003
# 142
Libya :
72%
2003
# 143
Saudi Arabia :
70.8%
2003
# 144
Tanzania :
70.7%
2003
# 145
Cape Verde :
69.2%
2003
# 146
Nicaragua :
67.8%
2003
# 147
Ghana :
67.1%
2003
# 148
Tunisia :
65.3%
2004
# 149
Rwanda :
64.7%
2003
# 150
Cambodia :
64.1%
2004
# 151
Guatemala :
63.3%
2003
# 152
Madagascar :
62.5%
2003
# 153
Algeria :
61%
2003
# 154
Nigeria :
60.6%
2003
# 155
Uganda :
60.4%
2003
# 156
Egypt :
59.4%
2005
# 157
Papua New Guinea :
59.3%
2003
# 158
Djibouti :
58.4%
2003
# 159
Congo, Democratic Republic of the :
55.1%
2003
# 160
Angola :
54.2%
2001
# 161
Gabon :
53.3%
1995
# 162
Haiti :
51.2%
2003
# 163
Sudan :
50.5%
2003
# 164
Malawi :
49.8%
2003
# 165
Comoros :
49.3%
2003
# 166
India :
48.3%
2003
# 167
Eritrea :
47.6%
2003
# 168
Togo :
46.9%
2003
# 169
Burundi :
45.2%
2003
# 170
Côte d'Ivoire :
43.6%
2003
# 171
Liberia :
41.6%
2003
# 172
Central African Republic :
39.9%
2003
= 173
Mali :
39.6%
2003
= 173
Morocco :
39.6%
2004
# 175
Chad :
39.3%
2003
# 176
Laos :
38.1%
2003
# 177
Pakistan :
36%
2005
# 178
Ethiopia :
35.1%
2003
# 179
Bhutan :
34%
2003
# 180
Gambia, The :
32.8%
2003
# 181
Mozambique :
32.7%
2003
# 182
Mauritania :
31.9%
2003
# 183
Bangladesh :
31.8%
2003
# 184
Senegal :
30.7%
2003
# 185
Yemen :
30%
2003
# 186
Nepal :
27.6%
2003
# 187
Guinea-Bissau :
27.4%
2003
# 188
Somalia :
25.8%
2001
= 189
Sierra Leone :
24.4%
2004
= 189
Iraq :
24.4%
2003
# 191
Benin :
23.3%
2002
# 192
Guinea :
18.1%
2003
# 193
Burkina Faso :
15.2%
2003
# 194
Niger :
15.1%
2005
# 195
Afghanistan :
12.6%
2000
Weighted average:
79.5%
DEFINITION: This entry includes a definition of literacy and Census Bureau percentages for the total population, males, and females. There are no universal definitions and standards of literacy. Unless otherwise specified, all rates are based on the most common definition - the ability to read and write at a specified age. Detailing the standards that individual countries use to assess the ability to read and write is beyond the scope of our source. Information on literacy, while not a perfect measure of educational results, is probably the most easily available and valid for international comparisons.
SOURCE: All
CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
See also
See this stat for year:
2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1995 1980 1970
Related links: