Global Literacy Rankings: Countries With Highest And Lowest Literacy Rates – News18

Last Updated:March 24, 2025, 07:24 IST

There are nine countries in the world with 100 per cent literacy rates: Andorra, Finland, Greenland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and North Korea.

GK, General Knowledge: Reading and writing form the foundations of literacy, which is essential for both societal progress and personal empowerment. Possessing these skills significantly enhances one’s career prospects and opens doors to highly skilled, well-paid jobs, whereas lacking them drastically reduces one’s opportunities.

Globally, literacy rates are relatively high, although they vary considerably between countries. According to the US Career Institute, the global average literacy rate stands at 86.81 per cent, while some nations have significantly lower rates.

Based on the most recent available data, experts from the US Career Institute analysed literacy rates across different nations to identify those with the highest and lowest levels. According to this list, literacy rates are defined as the proportion of people over the age of 15 who can read and write.

Global Literacy Rates: Highest

Andorra – Literacy Rate: 100%
Finland – Literacy Rate: 100%

Greenland – Literacy Rate: 100%
Liechtenstein – Literacy Rate: 100%

Luxembourg – Literacy Rate: 100%
Norway – Literacy Rate: 100%
Ukraine – Literacy Rate: 100%
Uzbekistan – Literacy Rate: 100%
North Korea – Literacy Rate: 100%
Latvia – Literacy Rate: 99.89%

Where is Andorra? The Country with the Highest Literacy Rate

Situated between Spain and France, Andorra is a small, sovereign European nation. It leads the world in literacy, with a 100 per cent literacy rate. This achievement is attributed to Andorra’s strong commitment to education, where formal schooling is both free and compulsory for children aged 6 to 16. The government makes substantial investments in the education system to ensure that the majority of its citizens receive high-quality instruction.

Andorra’s education system is unique, incorporating elements of the French, Spanish, and Andorran curricula.

In 2003, the distribution within the educational system was as follows: French system – 35%, Andorran system – 29%, Spanish system – 36%.

By 2016, the total number of students in Andorra had reached 11,018, with the distribution shifting to Andorran system – 39%, French – 33%, and Spanish – 28%.

While Spain and France cover the salaries of most teachers, the Andorran government is responsible for constructing and maintaining schools.

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Global Literacy Rates: Lowest

Rank 1: Chad – Literacy Rate: 26.76%
Rank 2: Mali – Literacy Rate: 30.76%
Rank 3: South Sudan – Literacy Rate: 34.52%
Rank 4: Botswana – Literacy Rate: 36.75%
Rank 5: Afghanistan – Literacy Rate: 37.27%
Rank 6: Niger – Literacy Rate: 37.34%
Rank 7: Central African Republic – Literacy Rate: 37.49%
Rank 8: Somalia – Literacy Rate: 37.80%
Rank 9: Guinea – Literacy Rate: 45.33%
Rank 10: Benin – Literacy Rate: 45.84%

According to the US Career Institute, low literacy rates in many African countries are the result of multiple factors. Some regions experience extreme poverty, where children are often sent to work to support their families instead of attending school.