World literacy rankings 2021

Over the past two centuries, the literacy of people around the world has been steadily increasing. Historians estimate that in 1800, only 12.1% of the world’s people could read and write. The most recent data shows that the numbers have changed dramatically, turned upside down and now only 13.8% of the world’s population is illiterate. Today the UNESCO Institute for Statistics is studying the issue of literacy. It is they who regularly publish the statistics on literacy in the countries of the world. The World Bank also publishes similar data (Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above)).

As you can see from the table below, the worst situation with literacy is in Africa. In Europe, this problem has been solved for many years. It is also worth paying attention to the maps, which break down the level of literacy by age groups. The young population is much more educated than the older population in all countries of the world without exception. The most current data reflect the situation as of September 2021.

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