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Percentage of population aged 15 and over who can read and write (2024)

20/237 countries
Global87.8%Year-over-year+0.07%5-year change-0.05%
1980
2024
2024

Rankings at a glance

Top 10 · Percentage of population aged 15 and over who can read and write (2024)

With 99.68% in 2024, Georgia leads the world in percentage of population aged 15 and over who can read and write, followed by Uruguay (98.91%) and the United Arab Emirates (98.81%). The top 5 is rounded off by Palestine (97.94%) and Saudi Arabia (97.93%). Further down, Bahrain (97.82%) and Panama (96.26%) hold the next two spots. Mexico (95.77%), Colombia (95.34%), and Paraguay (94.86%) round out the top ten. Five of the top ten are in Western Asia.

Rank changes

How percentage of population aged 15 and over who can read and write changed between 2019 and 2024

2019and2024

Historical trends

All countries

Frequently asked questions

Which country has the highest percentage of population aged 15 and over who can read and write?
Georgia has the highest percentage of population aged 15 and over who can read and write at 99.7% as of 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Which country has the lowest percentage of population aged 15 and over who can read and write?
Nigeria has the lowest percentage of population aged 15 and over who can read and write at 70.4% as of 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the global percentage of population aged 15 and over who can read and write?
Weighted by population, the global percentage of population aged 15 and over who can read and write is 87.8% as of 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics · Updated