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Percentage of population aged 25-64 who can read and write (2024)

20/237 countries
Global87.8%Year-over-year-0.18%5-year change+0.24%
1980
2024
2024

Rankings at a glance

Top 10 · Percentage of population aged 25-64 who can read and write (2024)

Georgia leads the world in percentage of population aged 25-64 who can read and write at 99.75% in 2024, followed by Uruguay (99.07%) and the United Arab Emirates (98.99%). Palestine (98.81%) and Bahrain (98.29%) close out the top 5. Next up, Saudi Arabia (97.72%) and Panama (96.98%). Mexico (96.88%), Colombia (96.46%), and Paraguay (96.42%) round out the top ten. Five of the top ten are in Western Asia.

Rank changes

How percentage of population aged 25-64 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 25-64 who can read and write?
Georgia has the highest percentage of population aged 25-64 who can read and write at 99.8% as of 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Which country has the lowest percentage of population aged 25-64 who can read and write?
Nigeria has the lowest percentage of population aged 25-64 who can read and write at 67.6% as of 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the global percentage of population aged 25-64 who can read and write?
Weighted by population, the global percentage of population aged 25-64 who can read and write is 87.8% as of 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics · Updated