World Bank Data · 79 countries
Countries With Highest Literacy Rates
Literacy is the foundation of human development, the ability to read and write enables participation in the modern economy, informed citizenship, and access to healthcare information. Most developed nations have achieved near-universal literacy (99%+), but significant gaps remain in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where adult literacy rates in some countries fall below 40%. Female literacy is particularly important: research consistently shows that educating girls is one of the most effective interventions for reducing poverty, lowering fertility rates, improving child health, and accelerating economic growth. Global literacy has improved dramatically over the past century, rising from about 20% to over 85%, but roughly 770 million adults worldwide still cannot read or write. Closing the literacy gap is a key UN Sustainable Development Goal.
Key Findings
- 1Uzbekistan leads with a literacy rate of 100.0%, followed by Russian Federation (99.9%) and Palau (99.8%).
- 2The gap between #1 Uzbekistan and #79 Afghanistan (37.3%) is 6273.0 percentage points.
- 3The national median across all states is 93.5% (Myanmar at the midpoint).
- 4The top 10 states are: Uzbekistan, Russian Federation, Palau, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Spain, Georgia, Tonga, Romania, Argentina.
Full Ranking: Countries With Highest Literacy Rates
Source: Census ACS 5-Year Estimates
| # | Country | Literacy Rate | GDP/Capita | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zambia | 79.9 | $1,331 | 20,723,965 |
| 2 | Vanuatu | 88 | $3,483 | 320,409 |
| 3 | Uzbekistan | 100 | $2,879 | 35,652,307 |
| 4 | Uruguay | 98.8 | $23,019 | 3,388,081 |
| 5 | United Arab Emirates | 98.1 | $49,851 | 10,483,751 |
| 6 | Uganda | 80.5 | $1,002 | 48,656,601 |
| 7 | Turkiye | 97.3 | $13,375 | 85,325,965 |
| 8 | Tunisia | 86.3 | $3,951 | 12,200,431 |
| 9 | Tonga | 99.5 | $5,652 | 104,597 |
| 10 | Tanzania | 82.2 | $1,224 | 66,617,606 |
| 11 | Taiwan | 98.5 | $34,430 | 23,400,000 |
| 12 | Syrian Arab Republic | 94.4 | - | 23,594,623 |
| 13 | Sri Lanka | 92.7 | $3,799 | 22,037,000 |
| 14 | Spain | 99.7 | $33,493 | 48,352,528 |
| 15 | South Africa | 90 | $6,034 | 63,212,384 |
| 16 | Singapore | 97.7 | $85,412 | 5,917,648 |
| 17 | Senegal | 50.4 | $1,698 | 18,077,573 |
| 18 | Saudi Arabia | 97.6 | $36,157 | 33,702,731 |
| 19 | Rwanda | 80.1 | $1,027 | 13,954,471 |
| 20 | Russian Federation | 99.9 | $14,159 | 143,826,130 |
| 21 | Romania | 99.2 | $18,244 | 19,061,062 |
| 22 | Philippines | 98.5 | $3,804 | 114,891,199 |
| 23 | Peru | 94.5 | $7,888 | 33,845,617 |
| 24 | Paraguay | 94.5 | $6,300 | 6,844,146 |
| 25 | Panama | 96.1 | $18,797 | 4,458,759 |
| 26 | Palau | 99.8 | $15,611 | 17,727 |
| 27 | Pakistan | 58.9 | $1,360 | 247,504,495 |
| 28 | Oman | 96.9 | $21,028 | 5,049,269 |
| 29 | Nigeria | 63.2 | $2,139 | 227,882,945 |
| 30 | Nauru | 96.6 | $12,752 | 11,875 |
| 31 | Namibia | 87.6 | $4,188 | 2,963,095 |
| 32 | Myanmar | 93.5 | $1,233 | 54,133,798 |
| 33 | Mozambique | 59.8 | $622.00 | 33,635,160 |
| 34 | Mongolia | 98.6 | $5,839 | 3,481,145 |
| 35 | Mexico | 95.8 | $13,861 | 129,739,759 |
| 36 | Mauritius | 94.3 | $11,270 | 1,248,647 |
| 37 | Mauritania | 59.5 | $2,136 | 5,022,441 |
| 38 | Marshall Islands | 95.8 | $6,793 | 38,827 |
| 39 | Malawi | 70.2 | $633.21 | 21,104,482 |
| 40 | Madagascar | 74.7 | $508.72 | 31,195,932 |
| 41 | Lao PDR | 75.6 | $2,067 | 7,664,993 |
| 42 | Kuwait | 96.5 | $34,076 | 4,853,420 |
| 43 | Kiribati | 98.6 | $2,178 | 132,530 |
| 44 | Jordan | 94.8 | $4,466 | 11,439,213 |
| 45 | Iraq | 84.1 | $5,965 | 45,074,049 |
| 46 | Iran, Islamic Rep. | 88.9 | $5,049 | 90,608,707 |
| 47 | Indonesia | 96 | $4,876 | 281,190,067 |
| 48 | India | 81.7 | $2,530 | 1,438,069,596 |
| 49 | Honduras | 87.1 | $3,227 | 10,644,851 |
| 50 | Guyana | 85.6 | $20,474 | 826,353 |
| 51 | Guatemala | 83 | $5,758 | 18,124,838 |
| 52 | Ghana | 76.5 | $2,384 | 33,787,914 |
| 53 | Georgia | 99.6 | $8,284 | 3,715,483 |
| 54 | Gambia, The | 51.6 | $883.02 | 2,697,845 |
| 55 | Gabon | 88.9 | $7,803 | 2,484,789 |
| 56 | Ethiopia | 54.9 | $1,056 | 128,691,692 |
| 57 | El Salvador | 89.8 | $5,365 | 6,309,624 |
| 58 | Egypt, Arab Rep. | 82.1 | $3,457 | 114,535,772 |
| 59 | Ecuador | 94.5 | $6,738 | 17,980,083 |
| 60 | Dominican Republic | 94.3 | $10,630 | 11,331,265 |
| 61 | Cote d'Ivoire | 50 | $2,592 | 31,165,654 |
| 62 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | 68.5 | $660.21 | 105,789,731 |
| 63 | Comoros | 75.6 | $1,560 | 850,387 |
| 64 | Colombia | 95.5 | $7,001 | 52,321,152 |
| 65 | China | 96.7 | $12,951 | 1,410,710,000 |
| 66 | Cambodia | 71.9 | $2,430 | 17,423,880 |
| 67 | Burundi | 71.3 | $250.63 | 13,689,450 |
| 68 | Burkina Faso | 41.6 | $873.48 | 23,025,776 |
| 69 | Brazil | 94.6 | $10,378 | 211,140,729 |
| 70 | Bolivia | 95.6 | $4,275 | 12,244,159 |
| 71 | Benin | 43.8 | $1,394 | 14,111,034 |
| 72 | Bangladesh | 76.4 | $2,551 | 171,466,990 |
| 73 | Bahrain | 97.8 | $29,290 | 1,577,059 |
| 74 | Azerbaijan | 99.8 | $7,133 | 10,153,958 |
| 75 | Armenia | 99.8 | $8,159 | 2,964,300 |
| 76 | Argentina | 99.1 | $14,262 | 45,538,401 |
| 77 | Angola | 68.2 | $2,916 | 36,749,906 |
| 78 | Albania | 97.7 | $9,731 | 2,414,095 |
| 79 | Afghanistan | 37.3 | $413.76 | 41,454,761 |
Methodology
Rankings are based on American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates from the US Census Bureau. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are included. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides detailed demographic, social, economic, and housing data. 5-Year estimates offer the most reliable data for state-level comparisons by averaging responses over a 60-month period. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
Explore Other Rankings
Frequently Asked Questions
Uzbekistan has the highest literacy rate at 100.0%, according to latest Census ACS data. Russian Federation and Palau round out the top three.
Afghanistan has the lowest literacy rate at 37.3%. Burkina Faso is second-lowest at 41.6%.
The median across all 79 states is 93.5%. Note that the national median and the state-level median are calculated differently, the state median represents the midpoint when all states are ranked.
This data comes from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates published by the US Census Bureau. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides the most comprehensive demographic data available between decennial censuses.
Rankings are based on the latest available Census ACS 5-Year estimates. The Census Bureau releases new ACS data annually. Our data was last updated on April 12, 2026.
Rankings are based on American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates from the US Census Bureau. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are included. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides detailed demographic, social, economic, and housing data. 5-Year estimates offer the most reliable data for state-level comparisons by averaging responses over a 60-month period. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, 2026.