Adult literacy rate in World
87.7% of adults in the world could read and write in 2024. The value for 2024 is the highest in the series, which starts in 1975.
World is a group: All economies covered by the World Bank. The value is the aggregate published by World Bank, not an average calculated on this site.
World, 2024
87.7%
Change from 2023
+0.2percentage points
Adult literacy rate in World over time
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World
The chart loads when you scroll to it. The table below shows the same data.
The chart shows a calculation from the published values. The table below keeps the published values.
% of people aged 15 and above. Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators. Gaps mean no published value; points are not joined across missing years.
| Period | World |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 87.7% |
| 2023 | 87.6% |
| 2022 | 87.4% |
| 2021 | 87.2% |
| 2020 | 87.0% |
| 2019 | 86.8% |
| 2018 | 86.8% |
| 2017 | 86.5% |
| 2016 | 86.3% |
| 2015 | 86.0% |
| 2014 | 85.6% |
| 2013 | 85.2% |
| 2012 | 84.9% |
| 2011 | 84.7% |
| 2010 | 84.4% |
| 2009 | 83.8% |
| 2008 | 83.5% |
| 2007 | 83.1% |
| 2006 | 82.5% |
| 2005 | 82.6% |
| 2004 | 82.6% |
| 2003 | 82.2% |
| 2002 | 81.7% |
| 2001 | 81.4% |
| 2000 | 81.1% |
A dash means no value was published for that period.
In short
- That is a change of +0.2 percentage points from 87.6% in 2023.
- Since 2014, when it was 85.6%, the figure has changed by +2.2 percentage points.
More for World
All statistics for World
Primary school enrolment (gross)
102.2%
2024 · World Bank
ILO estimate of the youth NEET rate
20.0%
2025 · ILOSTAT
Education spending
3.6%
2023 · World Bank
Tertiary education enrolment (gross)
43.6%
2024 · World Bank
Primary school completion rate
88.0%
2024 · World Bank
Secondary school enrolment (gross)
77.3%
2024 · World Bank