Adult Literacy Rate by Country
95 countries • % • World Bank
What It Measures
Literacy Rate % is a comparative indicator tracked across countries by World Bank. It provides a quantitative basis for cross-national comparison and analysis.
Key Statistics
Global Average
84.91
Median
91.1
Minimum
35.61
Maximum
100
Countries
95
Source
World Bank
World Map
Highest & Lowest Countries
Top 10 — Highest Adult Literacy Rate
| Rank | Country | Value |
|---|---|---|
| #1 |  Palau | 100 |
| #2 |  Tuvalu | 100 |
| #3 |  Uzbekistan | 100 |
| #4 |  Russia | 99.93 |
| #5 |  San Marino | 99.91 |
| #6 |  Turkmenistan | 99.9 |
| #7 |  Armenia | 99.84 |
| #8 |  Azerbaijan | 99.78 |
| #9 |  Spain | 99.7 |
| #10 |  Georgia | 99.68 |
Bottom 10 — Lowest Adult Literacy Rate
| Rank | Country | Value |
|---|---|---|
| #240 |  Niger | 35.61 |
| #241 |  Afghanistan | 37.27 |
| #242 |  Burkina Faso | 41.442 |
| #243 |  Côte d'Ivoire | 50 |
| #244 |  Senegal | 50.36 |
| #245 |  Benin | 51.38 |
| #246 |  Gambia | 51.64 |
| #247 |  Somalia | 54.12 |
| #248 |  Pakistan | 58.86 |
| #249 |  Mauritania | 59.53 |
Surprising Facts
Sri Lanka (92.66) has 1.51 more than South Africa (91.15) — the largest gap between consecutive ranks.
Myanmar (93.547) has 0.89 more than Sri Lanka (92.66) — the largest gap between consecutive ranks.
Lesotho (90.45) has 0.68 more than El Salvador (89.77) — the largest gap between consecutive ranks.