Countries Ranked by Literacy rate (2024)
Literacy rate: each country's latest value (2019–2024), ranked from highest to lowest. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).
Summary
Tuvalu ranks #1 with 100% of people 15+ (2022). Uzbekistan is second with 100% of people 15+, 0% behind. The top five are Tuvalu, Uzbekistan, Russian Federation, San Marino and Turkmenistan. The median across all 110 is 91.1% of people 15+; Chad is last at 30.6% of people 15+.
- #1
- Tuvalu · 100% of people 15+
- Median
- 91.1% of people 15+
- Coverage
- 110 countries
- Data year
- 2024
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
| Rank | Country | Literacy rate (% of people 15+) | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tuvalu | 100 | 2022 |
| 2 | Uzbekistan | 100 | 2022 |
| 3 | Russian Federation | 99.9 | 2021 |
| 4 | San Marino | 99.9 | 2022 |
| 5 | Turkmenistan | 99.9 | 2022 |
| 6 | Belarus | 99.9 | 2019 |
| 7 | Palau | 99.8 | 2020 |
| 8 | Armenia | 99.8 | 2023 |
| 9 | Azerbaijan | 99.8 | 2023 |
| 10 | Spain | 99.7 | 2021 |
| 11 | Georgia | 99.7 | 2024 |
| 12 | Tonga | 99.5 | 2023 |
| 13 | Italy | 99.4 | 2019 |
| 14 | Serbia | 99.3 | 2022 |
| 15 | Romania | 99.2 | 2021 |
| 16 | Argentina | 99.1 | 2020 |
| 17 | Uruguay | 98.9 | 2024 |
| 18 | United Arab Emirates | 98.8 | 2024 |
| 19 | Mongolia | 98.6 | 2024 |
| 20 | Kiribati | 98.6 | 2020 |
| 21 | Philippines | 98.5 | 2020 |
| 22 | Maldives | 98.2 | 2019 |
| 23 | Samoa | 98 | 2019 |
| 24 | West Bank and Gaza | 97.9 | 2024 |
| 25 | Saudi Arabia | 97.9 | 2024 |
| 26 | Bahrain | 97.8 | 2024 |
| 27 | Albania | 97.7 | 2023 |
| 28 | Cuba | 97.7 | 2019 |
| 29 | Singapore | 97.7 | 2021 |
| 30 | Oman | 97.3 | 2022 |
| 31 | Türkiye | 97.3 | 2021 |
| 32 | China | 96.7 | 2020 |
| 33 | Bolivia | 96.7 | 2024 |
| 34 | Naoero | 96.6 | 2023 |
| 35 | Kuwait | 96.5 | 2020 |
| 36 | Panama | 96.2 | 2024 |
| 37 | Viet Nam | 96.1 | 2022 |
| 38 | Indonesia | 96 | 2020 |
| 39 | Malaysia | 95.8 | 2022 |
| 40 | Marshall Islands | 95.8 | 2021 |
| 41 | Mexico | 95.6 | 2024 |
| 42 | Colombia | 95.3 | 2024 |
| 43 | Paraguay | 94.9 | 2024 |
| 44 | Brazil | 94.7 | 2024 |
| 45 | Jordan | 94.4 | 2024 |
| 46 | Syrian Arab Republic | 94.4 | 2021 |
| 47 | Mauritius | 94.3 | 2023 |
| 48 | Dominican Republic | 94 | 2024 |
| 49 | Peru | 93.7 | 2024 |
| 50 | Myanmar | 93.5 | 2020 |
| 51 | Ecuador | 93.5 | 2024 |
| 52 | Zimbabwe | 93.2 | 2019 |
| 53 | Sri Lanka | 92.7 | 2024 |
| 54 | Lebanon | 92 | 2019 |
| 55 | South Africa | 91.2 | 2024 |
| 56 | Thailand | 91.1 | 2022 |
| 57 | Eswatini | 90.8 | 2022 |
| 58 | Lesotho | 90.5 | 2024 |
| 59 | El Salvador | 89.8 | 2024 |
| 60 | Iran, Islamic Rep. | 88.9 | 2023 |
| 61 | Gabon | 88.9 | 2021 |
| 62 | Cabo Verde | 88.5 | 2024 |
| 63 | Honduras | 88.3 | 2024 |
| 64 | Vanuatu | 88 | 2023 |
| 65 | Belize | 87.9 | 2022 |
| 66 | Namibia | 87.6 | 2023 |
| 67 | São Tomé and Principe | 87.4 | 2019 |
| 68 | Papua New Guinea | 87 | 2022 |
| 69 | Tunisia | 86.3 | 2023 |
| 70 | Guyana | 85.6 | 2020 |
| 71 | Iraq | 84.1 | 2021 |
| 72 | Guatemala | 82.1 | 2024 |
| 73 | Egypt, Arab Rep. | 79.5 | 2022 |
| 74 | Bangladesh | 79 | 2022 |
| 75 | Rwanda | 78.8 | 2022 |
| 76 | Tanzania | 78.2 | 2022 |
| 77 | India | 78.2 | 2024 |
| 78 | Uganda | 77 | 2024 |
| 79 | Ghana | 76.5 | 2021 |
| 80 | Lao PDR | 75.6 | 2023 |
| 81 | Comoros | 75.6 | 2021 |
| 82 | Madagascar | 74.7 | 2021 |
| 83 | Togo | 72.6 | 2022 |
| 84 | Cambodia | 71.9 | 2021 |
| 85 | Zambia | 71.8 | 2024 |
| 86 | Burundi | 71.3 | 2020 |
| 87 | Nigeria | 70.4 | 2024 |
| 88 | Malawi | 70.2 | 2020 |
| 89 | Timor-Leste | 69.4 | 2022 |
| 90 | Nepal | 68.7 | 2019 |
| 91 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | 68.5 | 2023 |
| 92 | Angola | 68.2 | 2023 |
| 93 | Bhutan | 64.9 | 2022 |
| 94 | Guinea-Bissau | 63.9 | 2022 |
| 95 | Mozambique | 61.7 | 2022 |
| 96 | Ethiopia | 60.5 | 2022 |
| 97 | Mauritania | 59.5 | 2020 |
| 98 | Pakistan | 58.9 | 2021 |
| 99 | Somalia, Fed. Rep. | 54.1 | 2022 |
| 100 | Gambia, The | 51.6 | 2021 |
Showing the top 100 of 110. Premium downloads the full list as CSV or JSON.
About the top 10
#1 Tuvalu
Tuvalu ranks #1 on this list with 100% of people 15+ (2022).
- Capital
- Funafuti
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 9,492 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$57.35 million (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$6,041 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 67.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 65.4% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in agricultural land share · #1 in health expenditure share of gdp · #2 in education expenditure share of gdp.
#2 Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan ranks #2 on this list with 100% of people 15+ (2022).
- Capital
- Tashkent
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 37.05 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$147.04 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$3,968 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 72.5 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 51% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Tashkent.
Also ranks #4 in deposit interest rate · #5 in bank branches per 100,000 adults · #6 in official exchange rate.
#3 Russian Federation
Russian Federation ranks #3 on this list with 99.9% of people 15+ (2021).
- Capital
- Moscow
- Continent
- Europe
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 143.51 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$2.56 trillion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$17,547 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 73.4 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 75.3% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Novosibirsk.
Also ranks #1 in land area · #1 in surface area · #1 in forest area.
#4 San Marino
San Marino ranks #4 on this list with 99.9% of people 15+ (2022).
- Capital
- San Marino
- Continent
- Europe
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 34,109 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$2.03 billion (2023)
- GDP per person
- US$59,871 (2023)
- Life expectancy
- 85.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 97.2% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in bank branches per 100,000 adults · #2 in life expectancy · #2 in male life expectancy.
#5 Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan ranks #5 on this list with 99.9% of people 15+ (2022).
- Capital
- Ashgabat
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 7.62 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$49.83 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$6,540 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 70.2 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 47.1% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Ashgabat.
Also ranks #4 in agricultural land share · #16 in immunisation (measles) rate · #17 in fertiliser consumption.
#6 Belarus
Belarus ranks #6 on this list with 99.9% of people 15+ (2019).
- Capital
- Minsk
- Continent
- Europe
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 9.09 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$93.4 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$10,279 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 74.4 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 79.5% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Minsk.
Also ranks #2 in income share of poorest 10% · #4 in hospital beds per 10,000 · #7 in access to clean cooking fuels.
#7 Palau
Palau ranks #7 on this list with 99.8% of people 15+ (2020).
- Capital
- Ngerulmud
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 17,663 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$345 million (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$19,532 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 69.4 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 79.3% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in co2 emissions per capita · #2 in protected marine area share · #4 in forest area share.
#8 Armenia
Armenia ranks #8 on this list with 99.8% of people 15+ (2023).
- Capital
- Yerevan
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 3.09 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$29.24 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$9,474 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 78.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 65.9% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Yerevan.
Also ranks #5 in electricity access rate · #5 in access to electricity (rural) · #7 in female population share.
#9 Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan ranks #9 on this list with 99.8% of people 15+ (2023).
- Capital
- Baku
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 10.25 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$75.94 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$7,411 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 74.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 58.6% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Baku.
Also ranks #9 in electricity access rate · #9 in access to electricity (rural) · #9 in irrigated land share.
#10 Spain
Spain ranks #10 on this list with 99.7% of people 15+ (2021).
- Capital
- Madrid
- Continent
- Europe
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 49.36 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$1.91 trillion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$38,627 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 83.9 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 80.5% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Madrid city, Barcelona, City of Valencia.
Also ranks #7 in female life expectancy · #7 in government debt share of gdp · #8 in tourism arrivals.
Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.
Source and method
Literacy rate: each country's latest value (2019–2024), ranked from highest to lowest.
Source: The World Bank, indicator SE.ADT.LITR.ZS. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Retrieved: 2026-11-14.
The World Bank: Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above): Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (via World Development Indicators)
Original data provider, as recorded by the World Bank: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Values are shown as published. Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.