WorldPopulation.io
CountriesRankingsLive · 2026

Highest Literacy Rates by Country 2026

society · %

Korea, Dem. People's Rep. has one of the world's highest adult literacy rates at 100.0%. Adult literacy rate measures the percentage of people aged 15 and above who can read and write. More than 80 countries report near-universal literacy, while significant gaps persist in parts of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

RankCountry%
1🇰🇵Korea, Dem. People's Rep.100.0%
2🇹🇻Tuvalu100.0%
3🇺🇿Uzbekistan100.0%
4🇷🇺Russian Federation99.9%
5🇸🇲San Marino99.9%
6🇱🇻Latvia99.9%
7🇹🇲Turkmenistan99.9%
8🇪🇪Estonia99.9%
9🇧🇾Belarus99.9%
10🇵🇼Palau99.8%
11🇦🇲Armenia99.8%
12🇱🇹Lithuania99.8%
13🇦🇿Azerbaijan99.8%
14🇰🇿Kazakhstan99.7%
15🇹🇯Tajikistan99.7%
16🇪🇸Spain99.7%
17🇬🇪Georgia99.7%
18🇸🇮Slovenia99.5%
19🇹🇴Tonga99.5%
20🇺🇦Ukraine99.4%
21🌐Guam99.4%
22🇲🇩Moldova99.4%
23🇮🇹Italy99.3%
24🇷🇸Serbia99.3%
25🇧🇧Barbados99.3%
26🇰🇬Kyrgyz Republic99.2%
27🇷🇴Romania99.2%
28🇦🇷Argentina99.1%
29🇦🇬Antigua and Barbuda98.9%
30🇺🇾Uruguay98.9%
31🌐Cayman Islands98.9%
32🇭🇺Hungary98.9%
33🇦🇪United Arab Emirates98.8%
34🇵🇱Poland98.7%
35🇨🇾Cyprus98.7%
36🇲🇳Mongolia98.6%
37🇰🇮Kiribati98.6%
38🇲🇪Montenegro98.5%
39🇵🇭Philippines98.5%
40🇧🇬Bulgaria98.3%
41🇲🇻Maldives98.2%
42🇭🇷Croatia98.2%
43🇼🇸Samoa98.0%
44🇰🇷Korea, Rep.98.0%
45🇵🇸West Bank and Gaza97.9%
46🇸🇦Saudi Arabia97.9%
47🇧🇭Bahrain97.8%
48🇬🇩Grenada97.8%
49🇶🇦Qatar97.8%
50🇦🇱Albania97.7%
51🇨🇺Cuba97.7%
52🇸🇬Singapore97.7%
53🇨🇷Costa Rica97.4%
54🌐American Samoa97.3%
55🇴🇲Oman97.3%
56🇹🇷Turkiye97.3%
57🇻🇪Venezuela, RB97.2%
58🇧🇦Bosnia and Herzegovina97.0%
59🇹🇹Trinidad and Tobago96.9%
60🌐Aruba96.8%
61🇨🇳China96.7%
62🇧🇴Bolivia96.7%
63🇳🇷Nauru96.6%
64🌐Macao SAR, China96.5%
65🇰🇼Kuwait96.5%
66🇨🇱Chile96.4%
67🇵🇦Panama96.2%
68🌐New Caledonia96.1%
69🇲🇰North Macedonia96.1%
70🇻🇳Viet Nam96.1%
71🇧🇳Brunei Darussalam96.1%
72🇮🇩Indonesia96.0%
73🇲🇾Malaysia95.8%
74🇲🇭Marshall Islands95.8%
75🇻🇨St. Vincent and the Grenadines95.6%
76🇲🇽Mexico95.6%
77🇨🇴Colombia95.3%
78🇵🇾Paraguay94.9%
79🇧🇷Brazil94.7%
80🇵🇹Portugal94.5%
81🇯🇴Jordan94.4%
82🇸🇾Syrian Arab Republic94.4%
83🇲🇺Mauritius94.3%
84🇩🇴Dominican Republic94.0%
85🇸🇨Seychelles93.9%
86🇬🇷Greece93.9%
87🇵🇪Peru93.7%
88🇲🇲Myanmar93.5%
89🇪🇨Ecuador93.5%
90🇲🇹Malta93.3%
91🇿🇼Zimbabwe93.2%
92🇸🇷Suriname92.9%
93🇱🇰Sri Lanka92.7%
94🌐Puerto Rico (US)92.4%
95🇱🇧Lebanon92.0%
96🇮🇱Israel91.8%
97🇿🇦South Africa91.2%
98🇹🇭Thailand91.1%
99🇸🇿Eswatini90.8%
100🇱🇸Lesotho90.4%
101🇸🇻El Salvador89.8%
102🇮🇷Iran, Islamic Rep.88.9%
103🇬🇦Gabon88.9%
104🇨🇻Cabo Verde88.5%
105🇬🇶Equatorial Guinea88.3%
106🇭🇳Honduras88.3%
107🇻🇺Vanuatu88.0%
108🇧🇿Belize87.9%
109🇳🇦Namibia87.6%
110🇸🇹Sao Tome and Principe87.4%
111🇳🇮Nicaragua87.3%
112🇵🇬Papua New Guinea87.0%
113🇹🇳Tunisia86.3%
114🇬🇾Guyana85.6%
115🇮🇶Iraq84.1%
116🇰🇪Kenya82.2%
117🇬🇹Guatemala82.1%
118🇧🇼Botswana81.2%
119🇯🇲Jamaica79.9%
120🇪🇬Egypt, Arab Rep.79.5%
121🇧🇩Bangladesh79.0%
122🇷🇼Rwanda78.8%
123🇹🇿Tanzania78.2%
124🇮🇳India78.2%
125🇺🇬Uganda77.0%
126🇸🇧Solomon Islands76.6%
127🇬🇭Ghana76.5%
128🇨🇬Congo, Rep.76.1%
129🇱🇦Lao PDR75.6%
130🇰🇲Comoros75.6%
131🇩🇿Algeria75.1%
132🇲🇬Madagascar74.7%
133🇹🇬Togo72.6%
134🇨🇲Cameroon72.6%
135🇰🇭Cambodia71.9%
136🇿🇲Zambia71.8%
137🇧🇮Burundi71.3%
138🇳🇬Nigeria70.4%
139🇲🇼Malawi70.2%
140🇹🇱Timor-Leste69.4%
141🇳🇵Nepal68.7%
142🇨🇩Congo, Dem. Rep.68.5%
143🇦🇴Angola68.2%
144🇭🇹Haiti68.0%
145🇧🇹Bhutan64.9%
146🇪🇷Eritrea64.7%
147🇲🇦Morocco64.3%
148🇬🇼Guinea-Bissau63.9%
149🇲🇿Mozambique61.7%
150🇪🇹Ethiopia60.5%
151🇱🇾Libya60.2%
152🇲🇷Mauritania59.5%
153🇱🇷Liberia59.4%
154🇵🇰Pakistan58.9%
155🇸🇴Somalia, Fed. Rep.54.1%
156🇸🇩Sudan53.5%
157🇬🇲Gambia, The51.6%
158🇧🇯Benin51.4%
159🇸🇳Senegal50.4%
160🇨🇮Cote d'Ivoire50.0%
161🇸🇱Sierra Leone43.6%
162🇨🇫Central African Republic42.4%
163🇧🇫Burkina Faso41.6%
164🇬🇳Guinea39.6%
165🇦🇫Afghanistan37.3%
166🇾🇪Yemen, Rep.37.1%
167🇲🇱Mali35.6%
168🇳🇪Niger35.6%
169🇹🇩Chad30.6%
170🇸🇸South Sudan26.8%
—🌐AbkhaziaNo data
—🇦🇩AndorraNo data
—🇦🇺AustraliaNo data
—🇦🇹AustriaNo data
—🇧🇸Bahamas, TheNo data
—🌐BelgiumNo data
—🌐BermudaNo data
—🌐British Virgin IslandsNo data
—🇨🇦CanadaNo data
—🌐Channel IslandsNo data
—🌐CuracaoNo data
—🇨🇿CzechiaNo data
—🇩🇰DenmarkNo data
—🇩🇯DjiboutiNo data
—🇩🇲DominicaNo data
—🌐Faroe IslandsNo data
—🇫🇯FijiNo data
—🇫🇮FinlandNo data
—🇫🇷FranceNo data
—🌐French PolynesiaNo data
—🇩🇪GermanyNo data
—🌐GibraltarNo data
—🌐GreenlandNo data
—🌐Hong Kong SAR, ChinaNo data
—🇮🇸IcelandNo data
—🇮🇪IrelandNo data
—🌐Isle of ManNo data
—🇯🇵JapanNo data
—🌐KosovoNo data
—🇱🇮LiechtensteinNo data
—🇱🇺LuxembourgNo data
—🇫🇲Micronesia, Fed. Sts.No data
—🇲🇨MonacoNo data
—🇳🇱NetherlandsNo data
—🇳🇿New ZealandNo data
—🌐Northern CyprusNo data
—🌐Northern Mariana IslandsNo data
—🇳🇴NorwayNo data
—🌐Sint Maarten (Dutch part)No data
—🇸🇰Slovak RepublicNo data
—🌐SomalilandNo data
—🌐South OssetiaNo data
—🇰🇳St. Kitts and NevisNo data
—🇱🇨St. LuciaNo data
—🌐St. Martin (French part)No data
—🇸🇪SwedenNo data
—🇨🇭SwitzerlandNo data
—🌐TaiwanNo data
—🌐Turks and Caicos IslandsNo data
—🇬🇧United KingdomNo data
—🇺🇸United StatesNo data
—🌐Virgin Islands (U.S.)No data
—🌐Western SaharaNo data

Key Insights

The top three countries in highest literacy rates by country 2026 are: Korea, Dem. People's Rep. (100.0%), Tuvalu (100.0%), Uzbekistan (100.0%). At the other end of the scale, South Sudan (26.8%), Chad (30.6%), Niger (35.6%) record the lowest values among countries with data. The median value across 170 countries with data is 93.9%.

Explore Related Rankings

Countries with Most Internet Users 2026
society
Countries with Highest DTP3 Immunization Rates 2026
health
Richest Countries by GDP Per Capita 2026
economics
Highest Life Expectancy by Country 2026
health