INDICATORS OF ILLITERACY
Source: United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization
|
|
ESTIMATED ADULT (15+)
ILLITERACY RATE (%), 2000 |
ILLITERACY RATE (%) |
|
|
|
|
Ages 15-24 |
Ages 25+ |
|
COUNTRY OR AREA |
Men |
Women |
Year |
|
Men |
|
Women |
|
Men |
|
Women |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Albania |
7.9 |
23.0 |
2000 |
a |
0.9 |
|
3.6 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Algeria |
23.7 |
43.0 |
1987 |
|
13.8 |
|
37.8 |
|
50.2 |
|
79.5 |
|
|
American Samoa |
... |
... |
1990 |
|
0.2 |
|
0.1 |
|
0.4 |
|
0.5 |
|
|
Argentina |
3.2 |
3.2 |
1991 |
|
1.9 |
|
1.5 |
|
4.4 |
|
4.9 |
|
|
Armenia |
0.7 |
2.4 |
1989 |
|
0.1 |
|
0.1 |
|
0.8 |
|
2.4 |
|
|
Azerbaijan |
... |
... |
1999 |
|
0.1 |
|
0.1 |
|
0.7 |
|
2.4 |
|
|
Bahamas |
5.5 |
3.7 |
2000 |
a |
3.8 |
|
1.7 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Bahrain |
9.1 |
17.4 |
1991 |
|
2.7 |
|
3.8 |
|
13.0 |
|
29.8 |
|
|
Bangladesh |
50.6 |
69.8 |
2000 |
a |
43.3 |
|
60.3 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Barbados |
0.3 |
0.3 |
2000 |
a |
0.2 |
|
0.2 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Belarus |
0.2 |
0.4 |
1989 |
|
0.3 |
|
0.2 |
|
0.7 |
|
4.0 |
|
|
Belize |
6.7 |
6.8 |
1991 |
|
21.2 |
b |
20.2 |
b |
32.2 |
c |
32.6 |
c |
|
Benin |
47.9 |
76.4 |
1992 |
|
44.7 |
|
73.1 |
|
67.2 |
|
88.0 |
|
|
Bolivia |
8.1 |
20.8 |
1992 |
|
3.7 |
|
8.3 |
|
15.8 |
|
36.6 |
|
|
Botswana |
25.5 |
20.2 |
1991 |
|
14.1 |
|
7.7 |
|
46.8 |
|
40.3 |
|
|
Brazil |
13.0 |
13.2 |
2000 |
|
7.4 |
|
4.3 |
|
16.5 |
|
17.0 |
|
|
Brunei Darussalam |
5.4 |
11.9 |
1991 |
|
1.9 |
|
1.9 |
|
9.6 |
|
24.0 |
|
|
Bulgaria |
1.0 |
2.1 |
1992 |
|
0.8 |
|
0.9 |
|
1.4 |
|
3.3 |
|
|
Burkina Faso |
66.1 |
85.9 |
2000 |
a |
54.2 |
|
76.7 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Burundi |
43.9 |
59.6 |
1990 |
|
40.0 |
|
52.0 |
|
57.0 |
|
82.0 |
|
|
Cambodia |
19.8 |
42.8 |
1998 |
|
18.1 |
|
28.8 |
|
21.7 |
|
49.0 |
|
|
Cameroon |
20.9 |
36.3 |
1987 |
|
15.0 |
|
29.0 |
|
43.0 |
|
68.0 |
|
|
Cape Verde |
15.5 |
34.3 |
1990 |
|
10.1 |
|
13.6 |
|
34.9 |
|
62.5 |
|
|
Central African Rep. |
40.3 |
65.1 |
1988 |
|
37.0 |
|
65.0 |
|
60.0 |
|
87.0 |
|
|
Chad |
48.4 |
66.0 |
2000 |
a |
26.6 |
|
40.1 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Chile |
4.1 |
4.4 |
1992 |
|
1.8 |
|
1.3 |
|
6.7 |
|
7.6 |
|
|
China d |
7.9 |
22.1 |
1990 |
|
3.1 |
|
8.5 |
|
17.2 |
|
42.0 |
|
|
China, Hong Kong SAR |
3.1 |
10.8 |
2000 |
a |
1.0 |
|
0.2 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
China, Macao SAR |
3.2 |
9.0 |
2000 |
a |
0.2 |
|
2.1 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Colombia |
8.4 |
8.4 |
1993 |
|
5.3 |
e |
3.9 |
e |
11.1 |
|
11.7 |
|
|
Comoros |
36.8 |
51.3 |
2000 |
a |
34.7 |
|
48.2 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Congo |
12.5 |
25.6 |
2000 |
a |
1.9 |
|
3.2 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Cook Islands |
... |
... |
1986 |
|
2.5 |
f |
1.2 |
f |
4.7 |
f |
5.7 |
f |
|
Costa Rica |
4.5 |
4.4 |
2000 |
|
2.8 |
|
2.0 |
|
6.4 |
|
6.1 |
|
|
Côte d'Ivoire |
40.5 |
62.8 |
1988 |
|
40.1 |
|
62.2 |
|
63.4 |
|
85.3 |
|
|
Croatia |
0.7 |
2.7 |
1991 |
|
0.3 |
|
0.4 |
|
1.4 |
|
6.0 |
|
|
Cuba |
3.2 |
3.4 |
2000 |
a |
0.2 |
|
0.2 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Cyprus |
1.3 |
4.6 |
1992 |
|
0.4 |
|
0.4 |
|
3.1 |
|
12.5 |
|
|
Dem. Rep. of the Congo |
26.9 |
49.8 |
2000 |
a |
11.6 |
|
25.1 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Djibouti |
24.4 |
45.6 |
1991 |
|
38.0 |
|
62.0 |
|
63.0 |
|
87.0 |
|
|
Dominican Republic |
16.3 |
16.3 |
2000 |
a |
9.6 |
|
8.1 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Ecuador |
6.8 |
10.1 |
2001 |
|
3.6 |
|
3.5 |
|
9.4 |
|
13.1 |
|
|
Egypt |
33.4 |
56.2 |
1986 |
|
28.6 |
g |
46.0 |
g |
50.2 |
g |
78.1 |
g |
|
El Salvador |
18.5 |
23.9 |
1992 |
|
15.1 |
|
15.1 |
|
26.7 |
|
35.7 |
|
|
Equatorial Guinea |
7.5 |
25.6 |
2000 |
a |
1.5 |
|
4.6 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Eritrea |
32.7 |
55.5 |
2000 |
a |
19.9 |
|
39.6 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Estonia |
0.2 |
0.2 |
1989 |
|
0.1 |
|
0.1 |
|
0.1 |
|
0.5 |
|
|
Ethiopia |
52.9 |
69.0 |
2000 |
a |
38.8 |
|
51.3 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Fiji |
5.1 |
9.2 |
1986 |
|
2.4 |
h |
2.6 |
h |
13.5 |
h |
22.6 |
h |
|
Gambia |
56.3 |
70.3 |
2000 |
a |
34.8 |
|
50.7 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Georgia |
... |
... |
1989 |
|
0.2 |
|
0.1 |
|
0.6 |
|
1.8 |
|
|
Ghana |
19.7 |
36.8 |
2000 |
a |
6.4 |
|
11.4 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Greece |
1.5 |
4.1 |
1991 |
|
0.7 |
|
0.4 |
|
2.6 |
|
8.2 |
|
|
Guam |
... |
... |
1990 |
|
0.1 |
|
0.2 |
|
1.4 |
|
1.2 |
|
|
Guatemala |
24.0 |
38.9 |
1994 |
|
18.3 |
|
29.3 |
|
33.6 |
|
49.9 |
|
|
Guinea-Bissau |
45.9 |
76.5 |
2000 |
a |
27.2 |
|
56.3 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Guyana |
1.1 |
1.9 |
2000 |
a |
0.2 |
|
0.2 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Haiti |
48.0 |
52.2 |
2000 |
a |
35.7 |
|
35.5 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Honduras |
25.1 |
25.0 |
1988 |
|
23.0 |
|
20.0 |
|
40.0 |
|
43.0 |
|
|
Hungary |
0.5 |
0.8 |
2000 |
a |
0.2 |
|
0.2 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
India |
31.6 |
54.6 |
2000 |
a |
20.3 |
|
35.2 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Indonesia |
8.2 |
18.1 |
1990 |
|
2.6 |
|
4.9 |
|
15.8 |
|
33.5 |
|
|
Iran (Islamic Rep. of) |
17.0 |
31.1 |
1996 |
|
4.6 |
|
9.7 |
|
28.1 |
|
46.9 |
|
|
Iraq |
45.1 |
76.7 |
1987 |
|
11.5 |
|
19.6 |
|
31.4 |
|
53.3 |
|
|
Israel |
3.0 |
7.3 |
1992 |
|
0.6 |
|
1.2 |
|
3.7 |
|
9.3 |
|
|
Italy |
1.1 |
2.0 |
2000 |
a |
0.2 |
|
0.2 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Jamaica |
17.1 |
9.3 |
1987 |
|
17.1 |
|
6.2 |
|
26.4 |
|
17.3 |
|
|
Jordan |
5.1 |
15.7 |
1991 |
|
1.9 |
|
3.5 |
|
14.7 |
|
40.6 |
|
|
Kazakhstan |
0.3 |
0.9 |
1989 |
|
0.3 |
|
0.2 |
|
1.2 |
|
4.9 |
|
|
Kenya |
11.1 |
24.0 |
1989 |
|
8.1 |
|
13.9 |
|
26.0 |
|
54.2 |
|
|
Korea, Republic of |
0.9 |
3.6 |
2000 |
a |
0.2 |
|
0.2 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Kuwait |
16.1 |
20.4 |
2000 |
a |
8.3 |
|
6.8 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Kyrgyzstan |
... |
... |
1989 |
|
0.3 |
|
0.3 |
|
1.9 |
|
6.1 |
|
|
Lao People's Dem. Rep. |
23.8 |
46.6 |
1995 |
|
21.2 |
|
36.0 |
|
29.0 |
|
59.8 |
|
|
Latvia |
0.2 |
0.2 |
1989 |
|
0.2 |
|
0.2 |
|
0.2 |
|
0.9 |
|
|
Lebanon |
7.9 |
19.7 |
2000 |
a |
2.8 |
|
7.0 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Lesotho |
27.4 |
6.4 |
2000 |
a |
17.3 |
|
1.5 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Liberia |
29.8 |
63.3 |
2000 |
a |
15.1 |
|
47.4 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya |
9.2 |
31.9 |
2000 |
a |
0.2 |
|
7.0 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Lithuania |
0.3 |
0.5 |
1989 |
|
0.3 |
|
0.3 |
|
0.9 |
|
2.7 |
|
|
Madagascar |
26.4 |
40.3 |
2000 |
a |
16.4 |
|
23.4 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Malawi |
25.5 |
53.5 |
1987 |
|
29.5 |
|
50.9 |
|
37.2 |
|
74.6 |
|
|
Malaysia |
8.6 |
16.6 |
1991 |
|
4.4 |
i |
5.1 |
i |
15.1 |
i |
31.2 |
i |
|
Maldives |
3.0 |
3.2 |
1995 |
|
1.9 |
|
1.7 |
|
4.6 |
|
4.6 |
|
|
Mali |
64.2 |
84.0 |
1987 |
|
62.0 |
|
81.0 |
|
76.0 |
|
91.0 |
|
|
Malta |
8.7 |
7.3 |
2000 |
a |
2.6 |
|
0.2 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Marshall Islands |
... |
... |
1988 |
|
5.1 |
f |
3.9 |
f |
9.0 |
f |
13.5 |
f |
|
Martinique |
3.0 |
2.2 |
2000 |
a |
0.2 |
|
0.2 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Mauritania |
49.3 |
69.9 |
1988 |
|
43.1 |
|
61.8 |
|
59.4 |
|
82.6 |
|
|
Mauritius |
12.2 |
18.8 |
2000 |
|
6.3 |
|
4.6 |
|
13.5 |
|
24.0 |
|
|
Mexico |
6.7 |
10.9 |
2000 |
|
3.3 |
|
3.5 |
|
9.3 |
|
14.7 |
|
|
Micronesia, Fed. States of |
... |
... |
1985-89 |
|
5.8 |
i |
4.6 |
i |
23.3 |
i |
30.8 |
i |
|
Mongolia |
1.4 |
1.7 |
2000 |
|
3.0 |
|
1.6 |
|
1.5 |
|
2.9 |
|
|
Morocco |
38.2 |
63.9 |
1994 |
|
28.6 |
|
54.0 |
|
52.9 |
|
79.7 |
|
|
Mozambique |
40.0 |
71.3 |
1997 |
|
39.7 |
|
62.4 |
|
47.3 |
|
80.9 |
|
|
Myanmar |
11.1 |
19.5 |
2000 |
a |
8.6 |
|
9.5 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Namibia |
17.2 |
18.8 |
1991 |
|
14.3 |
j |
9.6 |
j |
26.8 |
j |
35.0 |
j |
|
Nepal |
40.6 |
76.0 |
1991 |
|
31.6 |
|
66.9 |
|
58.9 |
|
89.2 |
|
|
Netherlands Antilles |
3.5 |
3.4 |
1992 |
|
2.8 |
k |
2.5 |
k |
5.0 |
k |
5.2 |
k |
|
New Caledonia |
... |
... |
1989 |
|
1.3 |
|
1.1 |
|
8.1 |
|
10.8 |
|
|
Nicaragua |
33.8 |
33.3 |
2000 |
a |
29.0 |
|
27.7 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Niger |
76.2 |
91.5 |
1988 |
|
74.8 |
|
90.1 |
|
86.8 |
|
97.1 |
|
|
Nigeria |
27.8 |
43.9 |
2000 |
a |
10.4 |
|
15.7 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Northern Mariana Islands |
... |
... |
1990 |
|
0.3 |
|
0.2 |
|
0.8 |
|
1.6 |
|
|
Occupied Palestinian Ter. |
... |
... |
1997 |
|
3.1 |
|
2.8 |
|
10.6 |
|
29.9 |
|
|
Oman |
19.9 |
38.4 |
2000 |
a |
0.5 |
|
3.8 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Pakistan |
42.6 |
72.1 |
1998 |
|
32.9 |
|
56.9 |
|
45.9 |
|
73.2 |
|
|
Palau |
... |
... |
1990 |
|
0.5 |
|
0.7 |
|
2.1 |
|
4.3 |
|
|
Panama |
7.5 |
8.8 |
2000 |
|
3.5 |
|
4.4 |
|
8.9 |
|
10.4 |
|
|
Papua New Guinea |
29.4 |
43.2 |
2000 |
a |
20.2 |
|
28.7 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Paraguay |
5.6 |
7.8 |
1992 |
|
4.1 |
|
4.6 |
|
9.7 |
|
14.4 |
|
|
Peru |
5.3 |
14.8 |
1993 |
|
3.2 |
l |
7.1 |
l |
10.4 |
m |
27.5 |
m |
|
Philippines |
4.9 |
5.2 |
1990 |
|
3.7 |
|
3.1 |
|
7.2 |
|
8.7 |
|
|
Poland |
0.3 |
0.3 |
2000 |
a |
0.2 |
|
0.2 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Portugal |
5.3 |
10.1 |
1991 |
|
0.9 |
|
0.7 |
|
10.5 |
|
18.8 |
|
|
Puerto Rico |
6.4 |
6.0 |
1990 |
|
7.8 |
|
5.9 |
|
11.4 |
|
11.6 |
|
|
Qatar |
19.6 |
16.9 |
1986 |
|
11.4 |
|
8.7 |
|
25.7 |
|
35.2 |
|
|
Republic of Moldova |
0.5 |
1.7 |
1989 |
|
0.3 |
|
0.3 |
|
1.7 |
|
6.8 |
|
|
Reunion |
14.4 |
10.5 |
2000 |
a |
4.7 |
|
0.3 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Romania |
1.0 |
2.7 |
1992 |
|
0.8 |
|
0.9 |
|
1.7 |
|
6.1 |
|
|
Russian Federation |
0.3 |
0.6 |
1989 |
|
0.3 |
|
0.3 |
|
0.6 |
|
3.8 |
|
|
Rwanda |
26.4 |
39.6 |
1997 |
|
17.2 |
|
22.8 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Samoa |
1.1 |
1.7 |
1986 |
|
1.1 |
f |
0.8 |
f |
2.8 |
f |
2.3 |
f |
|
Sao Tome and Principe |
... |
... |
1991 |
|
4.2 |
|
8.1 |
|
21.1 |
|
54.1 |
|
|
Saudi Arabia |
17.0 |
33.1 |
1992 |
|
6.0 |
|
18.9 |
|
24.9 |
|
55.3 |
|
|
Senegal |
52.7 |
72.3 |
1988 |
|
50.9 |
|
72.0 |
|
69.5 |
|
87.7 |
|
|
Serbia and Montenegro p |
... |
... |
1991 |
|
0.8 |
|
1.3 |
|
2.7 |
|
12.6 |
|
|
Seychelles |
... |
... |
1994 |
|
1.5 |
|
0.9 |
|
17.1 |
|
15.1 |
|
|
Singapore |
3.8 |
11.7 |
2000 |
|
0.6 |
|
0.4 |
|
4.0 |
|
13.4 |
|
|
Slovenia |
0.3 |
0.4 |
1991 |
|
0.2 |
|
0.2 |
|
0.4 |
|
0.6 |
|
|
South Africa |
14.0 |
15.4 |
2000 |
a |
8.7 |
|
8.7 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Spain |
1.5 |
3.2 |
1991 |
|
0.6 |
|
0.7 |
|
3.1 |
|
7.2 |
|
|
Sri Lanka |
5.6 |
11.0 |
2000 |
a |
3.0 |
|
3.4 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Sudan |
30.8 |
53.8 |
1993 |
|
22.1 |
n |
40.5 |
n |
42.6 |
n |
74.1 |
n |
|
Suriname |
4.1 |
7.4 |
|
|
... |
|
... |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Swaziland |
19.2 |
21.4 |
1986 |
|
16.9 |
|
15.7 |
|
36.7 |
|
46.3 |
|
|
Syrian Arab Republic |
11.7 |
39.6 |
2000 |
a |
4.6 |
|
21.2 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Tajikistan |
0.4 |
1.2 |
1989 |
|
0.3 |
|
0.3 |
|
1.7 |
|
4.9 |
|
|
Thailand |
2.9 |
6.1 |
2000 |
|
1.4 |
|
1.6 |
|
5.4 |
|
12.1 |
|
|
The FYR of Macedonia |
... |
... |
1994 |
|
0.8 |
|
1.4 |
|
3.3 |
|
11.1 |
|
|
Togo |
27.7 |
57.5 |
2000 |
a |
12.8 |
|
36.2 |
|
... |
|
... |
|
|
Tonga |
... |
... |
1996 |
|
0.8 |
|
0.6 |
|
1.4 |
|
1.2 |
|
|
Trinidad and Tobago |
1.1 |
2.3 |
1990 |
|
0.7 |
|
0.7 |
|
2.4 |
|
5.8 |
|
|
Tunisia |
18.6 |
39.4 |
1989 |
|
7.4 |
|
27.8 |
|
42.2 |
|
67.7 |
|
|
Turkey |
6.6 |
23.5 |
1990 |
|
3.4 |
|
11.6 |
|
13.1 |
|
40.3 |
|
|
Turkmenistan |
... |
... |
1989 |
|
0.2 |
|
0.3 |
|
1.7 |
|
4.8 |
|
|
Uganda |
22.5 |
43.2 |
1991 |
|
22.8 |
|
36.9 |
|
|