Detailed overview of literacy rate by country including percentages for both male and female literacy rates as well as the overall rates.

Developed nations consistently boast adult literacy rates of 96% or higher, while the least developed countries struggle with an average literacy rate of just 65%.

This is a list of countries by literacy rate. The global literacy rate for all people aged 15 and above is 86.3%. The global literacy rate for all males is 90.0%, and the rate for all females is 82.7%.

Sep 24, 2025 · Today we’ll dive into literacy rates in the U.S. and how to best support our students in their quest to become better readers. Just to set the stage, what is the state of literacy in the U.S. …

The overall literacy rate has declined from 82% in 2017 to 79% in 2025, representing a 3-percentage point decrease affecting approximately 6.2 million additional Americans who now struggle with basic …

Mar 31, 2026 · Ranked with the latest data by country, literacy rates range from 100% to just 27% in Chad, and the gender gap reaches 30 points in Yemen.

Feb 6, 2026 · Millions of Americans are illiterate. Check out the literacy statistics to find out which state is the worst rated. Percentage of adults that cannot read.

Dec 31, 2025 · Learn about literacy rate in US and globally with our updated literacy statistics. Find data by country, gender, etc.

Official statistics by year of literacy rate (% population 15+). The values are presented in tables and charts with calculations of changes and shares, and with extensive analytical functionality.

Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) from The World Bank: Data