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Percentage of students achieving minimum proficiency in reading at end of primary (2021)

62/237 countries
Global82.9%5-year change+1.41%
2001
2021
2021

Rankings at a glance

Top 10 · Percentage of students achieving minimum proficiency in reading at end of primary (2021)

Canada leads the world in percentage of students achieving minimum proficiency in reading at end of primary, recording 98.78% in 2021, followed by Russia (98.36%) and Hong Kong (98.28%). Croatia (98.08%) and Poland (97.21%) close out the top 5. Next up, Italy (97.18%) and Lithuania (97.11%). The United Kingdom (97.03%), Singapore (96.66%), and Finland (96.48%) round out the top ten. Seven of the top ten are in Europe, with three from Northern Europe.

Rank changes

How percentage of students achieving minimum proficiency in reading at end of primary changed between 2016 and 2021

2016and2021

Historical trends

All countries

Frequently asked questions

Which country has the highest percentage of students achieving minimum proficiency in reading at end of primary?
Canada has the highest percentage of students achieving minimum proficiency in reading at end of primary at 98.8% as of 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Which country has the lowest percentage of students achieving minimum proficiency in reading at end of primary?
Zambia has the lowest percentage of students achieving minimum proficiency in reading at end of primary at 2.3% as of 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the global percentage of students achieving minimum proficiency in reading at end of primary?
Weighted by population, the global percentage of students achieving minimum proficiency in reading at end of primary is 82.9% as of 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics · Updated