ATLAS · LITERACY RATE

Literacy Rate by Country

The whole world, recoloured by literacy rate. Literacy Rate worldwide (world figure): 87.7% (2024). On the map below, paler countries sit at the low end and the deepest green at the high end. Tap any nation to open its full profile. Share of adults who can read and write, most recent year available, World Bank / UNESCO.

LOWEST

26.8%

South Sudan

WORLD

87.7%

170 countries with a figure

Source: World Bank Open Data (CC-BY 4.0), 2024 · geometry: Natural Earth (public domain)

How the map is coloured

61.9%99.4%
No figure — the source has no value for this country (shown in words, never as zero).

The top 25

170 countries and territories have a literacy rate figure. Here are the highest:

#CountryLiteracy Rate
1Korea, Dem. People's Rep.100.0%
2Tuvalu100.0%
3Uzbekistan100.0%
4Russian Federation99.9%
5San Marino99.9%
6Latvia99.9%
7Turkmenistan99.9%
8Estonia99.9%
9Belarus99.9%
10Palau99.8%
11Armenia99.8%
12Lithuania99.8%
13Azerbaijan99.8%
14Kazakhstan99.7%
15Tajikistan99.7%
16Spain99.7%
17Georgia99.7%
18Slovenia99.5%
19Tonga99.5%
20Ukraine99.4%
21Guam99.4%
22Moldova99.4%
23Italy99.3%
24Serbia99.3%
25Barbados99.3%

Korea, Dem. People's Rep. ranks 1st of 170.Every country’s full standing is on its profile.

THE WORLD, BY THE NUMBERS

Map another metric, or open a country’s full profile.

Back to the Atlas →