Literacy rate in the world in 2024 — 87.74%. Since 1975, the indicator has risen by 22.32 pp.
1975–2024 · % of population aged 15+
How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: World
| Year | % | Change, pp |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 87.74 | +0.16 pp |
| 2023 | 87.58 | +0.19 pp |
| 2022 | 87.39 | +0.22 pp |
| 2021 | 87.17 | +0.19 pp |
| 2020 | 86.98 | +0.19 pp |
| 2019 | 86.79 | +0.03 pp |
| 2018 | 86.76 | +0.29 pp |
| 2017 | 86.47 | +0.19 pp |
| 2016 | 86.28 | +0.32 pp |
| 2015 | 85.96 | +0.4 pp |
| 2014 | 85.56 | +0.35 pp |
| 2013 | 85.21 | +0.3 pp |
| 2012 | 84.91 | +0.2 pp |
| 2011 | 84.71 | +0.34 pp |
| 2010 | 84.37 | +0.57 pp |
| 2009 | 83.8 | +0.32 pp |
| 2008 | 83.48 | +0.36 pp |
| 2007 | 83.12 | +0.59 pp |
| 2006 | 82.53 | −0.04 pp |
| 2005 | 82.57 | +0.01 pp |
| 2004 | 82.56 | +0.34 pp |
| 2003 | 82.22 | +0.48 pp |
| 2002 | 81.74 | +0.37 pp |
| 2001 | 81.37 | +0.25 pp |
| 2000 | 81.12 | +0.22 pp |
| 1999 | 80.9 | +0.38 pp |
| 1998 | 80.52 | +1.22 pp |
| 1997 | 79.3 | +2 pp |
| 1996 | 77.3 | +0.43 pp |
| 1995 | 76.87 | +0.45 pp |
| 1994 | 76.42 | +0.45 pp |
| 1993 | 75.97 | +0.46 pp |
| 1992 | 75.51 | +0.45 pp |
| 1991 | 75.06 | +0.43 pp |
| 1990 | 74.63 | +0.56 pp |
| 1989 | 74.07 | +0.52 pp |
| 1988 | 73.55 | +1.61 pp |
| 1987 | 71.94 | +0.67 pp |
| 1986 | 71.27 | +0.54 pp |
| 1985 | 70.73 | +0.58 pp |
| 1984 | 70.15 | +0.66 pp |
| 1983 | 69.49 | +0.56 pp |
| 1982 | 68.93 | +0.58 pp |
| 1981 | 68.35 | +0.6 pp |
| 1980 | 67.75 | +0.6 pp |
| 1979 | 67.15 | +0.65 pp |
| 1978 | 66.5 | +0.62 pp |
| 1977 | 65.88 | +0.31 pp |
| 1976 | 65.57 | +0.15 pp |
| 1975 | 65.42 | — |
The share of the population aged 15 and older able to read and write a short simple statement about their everyday life. The UNESCO definition is deliberately minimal — it is the threshold of functional literacy, not an assessment of the quality of education. In most countries the data come from censuses and surveys, so they are updated irregularly.
Important: The series is incomplete: values are published only for the years in which a census or a literacy survey was conducted.
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), license CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO.
What share of their potential a child born today will manage to realize.
Education Primary completion rateWhat share of children reach the last grade of primary school.
Education Primary school enrollmentThe net enrollment rate: the share of children of school age attending primary school.