Literacy - The World Factbook - CIA



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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 the Factbook. Information on literacy, while not a perfect measure of educational results, is probably the most easily available and valid for international comparisons. Low levels of literacy, and education in general, can impede the economic development of a country in the current rapidly changing, technology-driven world.
Literacy - The World Factbook - CIA

Rank

Country

(%)

1Andorra100
2Finland100
3Georgia100
4Holy See (Vatican City)100
5Luxembourg100
6Norway100
7Liechtenstein100
8Greenland100
9Cuba99.80
10Estonia99.80
11Poland99.80
12Barbados99.70
13Samoa99.70
14Slovenia99.70
15Latvia99.70
16Belarus99.60
17Lithuania99.60
18Slovakia99.60
19Kazakhstan99.50
20Tajikistan99.50
21Armenia99.40
22Ukraine99.40
23Hungary99.40
24Russia99.40
25Uzbekistan99.30
26Moldova99.10
27Australia99
28United States99
29United Kingdom99
30Switzerland99
31Sweden99
32Saint Pierre and Miquelon99
33New Zealand99
34Netherlands99
35Monaco99
36North Korea99
37Japan99
38Ireland99
39Iceland99
40Denmark99
41Belgium99
42Canada99
43Germany99
44France99
45Czech Republic99
46Tonga98.90
47Azerbaijan98.80
48Turkmenistan98.80
49Guyana98.80
50Albania98.70
51Kyrgyzstan98.70
52Trinidad and Tobago98.60
53Italy98.40
54Bulgaria98.20
55Croatia98.10
56Austria98
57Bermuda98
58Cayman Islands98
59French Polynesia98
60Uruguay98
61Turks and Caicos Islands98
62South Korea97.90
63Spain97.90
64British Virgin Islands97.80
65St. Kitts and Nevis97.80
66Mongolia97.80
67Cyprus97.60
68Aruba97.30
69Romania97.30
70Argentina97.20
71Israel97.10
72American Samoa97
73Saint Helena97
74Northern Mariana Islands97
75Montserrat97
76Bosnia and Herzegovina96.70
77Netherlands Antilles96.70
78Serbia96.40
79Maldives96.30
80New Caledonia96.20
81Macedonia96.10
82Taiwan96.10
83Greece96
84Grenada96
85San Marino96
86St. Vincent and the Grenadines96
87Chile95.70
88Bahamas95.60
89Anguilla95
90Cook Islands95
91Niue95
92Costa Rica94.90
93Puerto Rico94.10
94Dominica94
95Paraguay94
96Fiji93.70
97Marshall Islands93.70
98Hong Kong93.50
99Kuwait93.30
100Portugal93.30
101Venezuela93
102Peru92.90
103Malta92.80
104Brunei92.70
105Philippines92.60
106Thailand92.60
107Singapore92.50
108Gaza Strip92.40
109West Bank92.40
110Palau92
111Kosovo91.90
112Panama91.90
113Seychelles91.80
114Macau91.30
115Ecuador91
116Mexico91
117China90.90
118Sri Lanka90.70
119Zimbabwe90.70
120Colombia90.40
121Indonesia90.40
122Vietnam90.30
123St. Lucia90.10
124Burma89.90
125Jordan89.90
126Suriname89.60
127Micronesia89
128Qatar89
129Malaysia88.70
130Brazil88.60
131Jamaica87.90
132Lebanon87.40
133Turkey87.40
134Dominican Republic87
135Equatorial Guinea87
136Bolivia86.70
137Bahrain86.50
138South Africa86.40
139Antigua and Barbuda85.80
140Kenya85.10
141Namibia85
142Sao Tome and Principe84.90
143Lesotho84.80
144Mauritius84.40
145Republic of the Congo83.80
146Libya82.60
147Swaziland81.60
148Oman81.40
149Botswana81.20
150Zambia80.60
151El Salvador80.20
152Gibraltar80
153Honduras80
154Syria79.60
155Saudi Arabia78.80
156United Arab Emirates77.90
157Iran77
158Belize76.90
159Cape Verde76.60
160Tunisia74.30
161Iraq74.10
162Vanuatu74
163Cambodia73.60
164Egypt71.40
165Rwanda70.40
166Algeria69.90
167Tanzania69.40
168Guatemala69.10
169Madagascar68.90
170Laos68.70
171Nigeria68
172Cameroon67.90
173Djibouti67.90
174Nicaragua67.50
175Angola67.40
176Democratic Republic of the Congo67.20
177Uganda66.80
178Gabon63.20
179Malawi62.70
180Sudan61.10
181India61
182Togo60.90
183Burundi59.30
184Eritrea58.60
185Timor-Leste58.60
186Ghana57.90
187Liberia57.50
188Papua New Guinea57.30
189Comoros56.50
190Haiti52.90
191Morocco52.30
192Mauritania51.20
193Yemen50.20
194Wallis and Futuna50
195Pakistan49.90
196Ivory Coast48.70
197Central African Republic48.60
198Nepal48.60
199Bangladesh47.90
200Mozambique47.80
201Bhutan47
202Mali46.40
203Ethiopia42.70
204Guinea-Bissau42.40
205Gambia40.10
206Senegal39.30
207Somalia37.80
208Sierra Leone35.10
209Benin34.70
210Guinea29.50
211Niger28.70
212Afghanistan28.10
213Chad25.70
214Burkina Faso21.80
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