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Education Statistics > Literacy > Total population (most recent) by country

VIEW DATA:   Totals  
Definition     Source      Printable version   
    Bar Graph   Map  

Showing latest available data. Select another time period:
Rank   Countries  Amount  Date  
# 1   Seychelles: 91.9%  2003 Time series
# 2   Zimbabwe: 90.7%  2003 Time series
# 3   South Africa: 86.4%  2003 Time series
# 4   Equatorial Guinea: 85.7%  2003 Time series
# 5   Kenya: 85.1%  2003 Time series
# 6   São Tomé and Príncipe: 84.9%  2001 Time series
# 7   Lesotho: 84.8%  2003 Time series
# 8   Namibia: 84%  2003 Time series
# 9   Congo, Republic of the: 83.8%  2003 Time series
# 10   Libya: 82.6%  2003 Time series
# 11   Swaziland: 81.6%  2003 Time series
# 12   Botswana: 81.2%  2003 Time series
# 13   Zambia: 80.6%  2003 Time series
# 14   Cameroon: 79%  2003 Time series
# 15   Tanzania: 78.2%  2003 Time series
# 16   Ghana: 74.8%  2003 Time series
# 17   Tunisia: 74.3%  2004 Time series
# 18   Egypt: 71.4%  2005 Time series
# 19   Rwanda: 70.4%  2003 Time series
# 20   Algeria: 70%  2003 Time series
# 21   Uganda: 69.9%  2003 Time series
# 22   Madagascar: 68.9%  2003 Time series
# 23   Nigeria: 68%  2003 Time series
# 24   Djibouti: 67.9%  2003 Time series
# 25   Angola: 67.4%  2001 Time series
# 26   Congo, Democratic Republic of the: 65.5%  2003 Time series
# 27   Gabon: 63.2%  1995 Time series
# 28   Malawi: 62.7%  2003 Time series
# 29   Sudan: 61.1%  2003 Time series
# 30   Togo: 60.9%  2003 Time series
# 31   Eritrea: 58.6%  2003 Time series
# 32   Liberia: 57.5%  2003 Time series
# 33   Comoros: 56.5%  2003 Time series
# 34   Morocco: 52.3%  2004 Time series
# 35   Burundi: 51.6%  2003 Time series
# 36   Central African Republic: 51%  2003 Time series
# 37   Côte d'Ivoire: 50.9%  2003 Time series
# 38   Mozambique: 47.8%  2003 Time series
# 39   Chad: 47.5%  2003 Time series
# 40   Mali: 46.4%  2003 Time series
# 41   Ethiopia: 42.7%  2003 Time series
# 42   Guinea-Bissau: 42.4%  2003 Time series
# 43   Mauritania: 41.7%  2003 Time series
# 44   Senegal: 40.2%  2003 Time series
# 45   Gambia, The: 40.1%  2003 Time series
# 46   Somalia: 37.8%  2001 Time series
# 47   Sierra Leone: 35.1%  2004 Time series
# 48   Benin: 34.7%  2002 Time series
# 49   Guinea: 29.5%  2003 Time series
# 50   Niger: 28.7%  2005 Time series
# 51   Burkina Faso: 21.8%  2003 Time series
Weighted average: 62.6%  



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: 2008 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1995 1980 1970

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COMMENTARY     

B. Cooley
22nd December 2009 		These are not accurate, they can't be. In my State alone there is a 15% illiteracy rate as of just a few years ago, that's not even to compound the states around mine. The US does not have a 99% literacy.
Derek McLaren
5th May 2009 		Try putting info on it not just the ranks im doing a project and this site did not do me much good so thanks for the Help
M. Saunders
11th January 2006 		From below 80% in 1986 to 97% for the U.S. now is a totally false figure and consequently invalidates all other stats in this database!
Edria Murray
Staff Editor
19th January 2005 		Over fifty years ago the United nations included literacy as a basic human right along with the right to adequate food, health care, and housing. According to UNESCO global literacy rates have increased dramatically over the last 35 years. However even today UNESCO statistics indicate that there are still over 800 million illiterate adults worldwide.

Literacy is seldom universal across the whole population. In developing nations the literacy rate of males is significantly higher than that of females. To gain a balanced perspective when comparing countries, literacy definitions should be consulted as these vary between countries.

The very high literacy rates in industrialized countries are misleading, as many adults in these countries have low levels of literacy. The International Adult literacy survey (1998) of OECD countries concluded that 23% of adults had 'very poor' skills. And a further 27% had a 'weak' skills. Both of these groups are defined as having a ”'low level of literacy'
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