LITERACY RATES OF THE WORLD

Rank
(total) 1 Andorra 1 Finland 1 Greenland 1 Liechtenstein 1 Luxembourg 1 Norway 1 Vatican City 8 Azerbaijan 8 Cuba 8 Estonia 8 Latvia 12 Barbados 12 Georgia 12 Lithuania 12 Samoa 12 Slovenia 12 Tajikistan 12 Ukraine

Country

Literacy Rates
(percent) 100.0 NA

Date

100.0 2000 est. 100.0 2001 est. 100.0 NA 100.0 2000 est. 100.0 NA 100.0 NA 99.8 2010 census 99.8 2002 census 99.8 2010 census 99.8 2010 est. 99.7 2002 est. 99.7 2010 est. 99.7 2010 est. 99.7 2003 est. 99.7 2010 est. 99.7 2010 est. 99.7 2010 est.

19 Armenia 19 Belarus 19 Russia 19 Slovakia 23 Kazakhstan 23 Poland 25 Uzbekistan 26 Australia 26 Belgium 26 Canada 26 Czech Republic 26 Denmark 26 France 26 Germany 26 Great Britain & Northern Ireland 26 Guam 26 Hungary 26 Iceland 26 Ireland 26 Japan 26 Korea (North) 26 Monaco

99.6 2010 est. 99.6 2009 census 99.6 2010 est. 99.6 2004 99.5 1999 est. 99.5 2010 est. 99.3 2003 est. 99.0 2003 est. 99.0 2003 est. 99.0 2003 est. 99.0 2003 est. 99.0 2003 est. 99.0 2003 est. 99.0 2003 est. 99.0 2003 est. 99.0 1990 est. 99.0 2010 est. 99.0 2003 est. 99.0 2003 est. 99.0 2002 99.0 1991 est. 99.0 2003 est.

26 Netherlands 26 New Zealand 26 Saint Pierre & Miquelon 26 Sweden 26 Switzerland 26 United States of America 47 Tonga 48 Croatia 48 Turkmenistan 50 Albania 50 Kyrgyzstan 52 Trinidad & Tobago 53 Moldova 54 Bulgaria 54 Italy 54 Montenegro 57 Austria 57 Bermuda 57 Cayman Islands 57 French Polynesia 57 Turks & Caicos Islands 57 Uruguay

99.0 2003 est. 99.0 2003 est. 99.0 1982 est. 99.0 2003 est. 99.0 2003 est. 99.0 2003 est. 98.9 1999 est. 98.8 2010 est. 98.8 1999 est. 98.7 2001 census 98.7 1999 census 98.6 2003 est. 98.5 2010 est. 98.4 2011 98.4 2001 census 98.4 2010 est. 98.0 NA 98.0 2005 est. 98.0 1970 est. 98.0 1977 est. 98.0 1970 est. 98.0 2003 est.

63 Bosnia & Herzegovina 63 Korea (South) 63 Serbia 66 British Virgin Islands 66 Saint Kitts & Nevis 68 Romania 68 Spain 70 Cyprus 71 Mongolia 72 Aruba 72 Macedonia 74 Argentina 75 Israel 76 American Samoa 76 Montserrat 76 Northern Mariana Is. 76 Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha 80 Qatar 81 New Caledonia 82 Taiwan (Rep. of China) 83 Greece 83 Grenada

97.9 2010 est. 97.9 2002 97.9 2010 est. 97.8 1991 est. 97.8 2003 est. 97.7 2010 est. 97.7 2010 est. 97.6 2001 census 97.4 2010 est. 97.3 2000 census 97.3 2010 est. 97.2 2001 census 97.1 2004 est. 97.0 1980 est. 97.0 1970 est. 97.0 1980 est. 97.0 1987 est. 96.3 2010 est. 96.2 1996 census 96.1 2003 96.0 2001 census 96.0 2003 est.

83 Saint Vincent & the Grenadines 83 San Marino 87 Chile 88 Bahamas 89 Portugal 90 Anguilla 90 Cook Islands 90 Niue 93 Costa Rica 94 Bahrain 95 Puerto Rico 96 Dominica 96 Paraguay 96 Vietnam 99 Equatorial Guinea 100 Maldives 101 Fiji Islands 101 Marshall Islands 103 Hong Kong 104 Kuwait 105 Venezuela 106 Peru

96.0 1970 est. 96.0 NA 95.7 2002 census 95.6 2003 est. 95.2 2010 est. 95.0 1984 est. 95.0 NA 95.0 NA 94.9 2000 census 94.6 2010 census 94.1 2002 est. 94.0 2003 est. 94.0 2003 est. 94.0 2002 est. 93.9 2010 est. 93.8 2006 Census 93.7 2003 est. 93.7 1999 93.5 2002 93.3 2005 census 93.0 2001 census 92.9 2007 Census

107 Malta 108 Brunei 109 Jordan 109 Philippines 109 Thailand 112 Singapore 113 Palestinian Territories 114 China 115 Palau 116 Kosovo 116 Panama 118 Guyana 118 Seychelles 120 Macau 121 Sri Lanka 122 Ecuador 123 Zimbabwe 124 Colombia 124 Indonesia 126 Saint Lucia 127 Myanmar 128 Lesotho

92.8 2005 Census 92.7 2001 census 92.6 2010 est. 92.6 2000 census 92.6 2000 census 92.5 2000 census 92.4 2004 est. 92.2 2007 92.0 1980 est. 91.9 2007 Census 91.9 2000 census 91.8 2002 Census 91.8 2002 census 91.3 2001 census 91.2 2010 census 91.0 2001 census 90.7 2003 est. 90.4 2005 census 90.4 2004 est. 90.1 2001 est. 89.9 2006 est. 89.6 2010 est.

128 Suriname 130 Libya 131 Micronesia, Federated States of 132 Namibia 133 Malaysia 134 Brazil 135 Mauritius 136 Gabon 137 Jamaica 138 Kenya 138 Lebanon 138 Turkey 141 Dominican Republic 142 Bolivia 143 Saudi Arabia 144 South Africa 145 Mexico 146 Antigua & Barbuda 147 Sao Tome and Principe 148 Botswana 149 Cape Verde 150 Congo (Republic)

89.6 2004 census 89.2 2010 est. 89.0 1980 est. 88.8 2010 est. 88.7 2000 census 88.6 2004 est. 88.5 2010 est. 88.4 2010 est. 87.9 2003 est. 87.4 2010 est. 87.4 2003 est. 87.4 2004 est. 87.0 2002 census 86.7 2001 census 86.6 2010 est. 86.4 2003 est. 86.1 2005 Census 85.8 2003 est. 84.9 2001 census 84.5 2010 est. 84.3 2010 est. 83.8 2003 est.

151 Swaziland 152 Oman 153 El Salvador 154 Zambia 155 Gibraltar 155 Honduras 157 Syria 158 Iraq 159 United Arab Emirates 160 Iran 161 Belize 162 Cameroon 163 Comoros 164 Malawi 165 Tunisia 166 Vanuatu 167 Cambodia 168 Laos 169 Egypt 170 Rwanda 171 Angola 172 Algeria

81.6 2003 est. 81.4 2003 census 81.1 2007 census 80.6 2003 est. 80.0 NA 80.0 2001 census 79.6 2004 census 78.2 2010 est. 77.9 2003 est. 77.0 2002 est. 76.9 2000 census 75.9 2001 est. 74.9 2010 est. 74.8 2010 est. 74.3 2004 census 74.0 1999 census 73.6 2004 est. 73.0 2005 Census 72.0 2010 est. 71.1 2010 est. 70.1 2010 est. 69.9 2002 est.

173 Tanzania 174 Guatemala 175 Djibouti 176 Eritrea 177 Nicaragua 178 Ghana 179 Burundi 180 Congo (Dem. Rep.) 180 Uganda 182 Madagascar 183 Yemen 184 Nigeria 185 Sudan 186 India 187 Togo 188 Liberia 189 Nepal 190 East Timor 191 Mauritania 192 Papua New Guinea 193 Bangladesh 194 Cote d'Ivoire

69.4 2002 census 69.1 2002 census 67.9 2003 est. 67.8 2010 est. 67.5 2003 est. 67.3 2010 census 67.2 2010 est. 66.8 2010 est. 66.8 2002 census 64.5 2009 est. 63.9 2010 est. 61.3 2010 est. 61.1 2003 est. 61.0 2001 census 60.9 2003 est. 60.8 2010 est. 60.3 2010 census 58.6 2002 58.0 2010 est. 57.3 2000 census 56.8 2010 est. 56.2 2010 est.

195 Morocco 195 Mozambique 197 Central African Republic 198 Pakistan 199 Guinea-Bissau 200 Haiti 201 Gambia 201 Wallis and Futuna 203 Bhutan 204 Ethiopia 205 Benin 206 Guinea 207 Senegal 208 Somalia 209 Sierra Leone 210 Chad 211 Mali 212 Niger 213 Afghanistan 214 South Sudan 215 Burkina Faso World

56.1 2009 est. 56.1 2010 est. 56.0 2010 est. 54.9 2009 est. 54.2 2010 est. 52.9 2003 est. 50.0 2010 est. 50.0 1969 est. 47.0 2003 est. 42.7 2003 est. 42.4 2010 census 41.0 2010 est. 39.3 2002 est. 37.8 2001 est. 35.1 2004 est. 34.5 2010 est. 31.1 2010 est. 28.7 2005 est. 28.1 2000 est. 27.0 NA 21.8 2003 est. 83.7 2005 est.

SIL HOME ABOUT SIL SITE MAP SEARCH CONTACT US

Issues
Statistics Illiteracy and Income Cost Effectiveness Women and Literacy Policy Issues in Literacy

Literacy and Education

Issues in Literacy
Compelling global issues in the literacy domain include:

illiteracy's staggering statistics, poverty and illiteracy, education of marginalized minorities, language of instruction, women's education, language preservation, and alphabets for previously unwritten languages.

Literacy may have become a current "buzz word" but the importance of this major global issue has long been recognized by international educators and is laden with related issues, such as quality of life. Members of minority groups, without pen, paper, or literature in print in their own language, or literacy in any other language, are marginalized and certainly on the downside of the socalled digital divide. The current intensity and speed of globalization compounds the urgency of addressing the issue of literacy for all, especially among the poor and marginalized on as many fronts as possible.
Illiteracy and Income

One issue can not be ignored: Is there a relationship between illiteracy and income? Some of the figures at the extremes in the rates of literacy compared to the range of GNP per capita could suggest that there is a correlation.
Literacy rate Per capita income

below 40% above 98%

less than $600 more than $12,000

In the comparison of these figures, as the literacy rate doubles, so doubles the per capita income. The message here, at least in individual economic terms, is that literacy has payoffs and is a worthwhile investmentso it seems. Illiteracy may mean income loss not only for the individual but for society at large as well. According to the National Adult Literacy Survey, in the US alone, adult illiteracy carries an estimated price tag of more than $17 billion per year as a result of lost income and tax revenue, welfare, unemployment, crime and incarceration, and training cost for business and industry. This could suggest that the price tag for illiteracy at large is more than the cost of literacy. However, figures like those above that suggest a causal correlation do not present the whole picture or may be misleading. A vast array of more complex factors are involved. Usually for literacy to equal a better job, it has to be fluent literacy, accompanied by well-developed writing skills, mathematics, and general knowledge far beyond what is normally acquired in a basic adult literacy class. Secondly, we cannot equate literacy with wealth. What literacy can mean for both the individual and society at large is betterment of people's livesenhanced self-esteem, ability to read instructions on medications and civic documents, ability to learn new things which will help them to expand their knowledge, ability to cope with the majority society, etc. Literacy provides people with the option of becoming members of a self-confident and informed populace that can understand issues, represent themselves, take responsibility for self-improvement and family health, and better participate in civic affairs. These are among the priceless payoffs of literacy. See also facts about illiteracy.

[ Literacy and Education | SIL Home ]

Search SIL International w ebsite

URL: http://www.sil.org/literacy/issues.htm Contact: WWW@sil.org

Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | External Links Copyright 2012 SIL International

Search

ShareThis

Home > Countries > Nigeria

Nigeria - literacy rate

Literacy rate, youth female (% of females ages 15-24)
Definition: Youth literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15-24 who can, with understanding, read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life.

Source: United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute for Statistics.

See also:

Thematic map Country comparison

1991 1994 1996 1999

2001 2004 2006 2009 0.0 14.4 28.7 43.1 57.5 71.9
Year Value 1991 62.49 2003 60.51 2009 65.33

Literacy rate, youth male (% of males ages 15-24)

Definition: Youth literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15-24 who can, with understanding, read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life.

Source: United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute for Statistics.

See also:

Thematic map Country comparison

1991

1994 1996 1999 2001 2004 2006 2009 0.0 17.9 35.8 53.7 71.6 89.5
Year Value 1991 81.36 2003 78.13 2009 78.15

Literacy rate, youth total (% of people ages 15-24)

Definition: Youth literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15-24 who can, with understanding, read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life.

Source: United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute for Statistics.

See also:

Thematic map Country comparison

1991 1994 1996 1999 2001 2004 2006 2009 0.0 15.8 31.6 47.4 63.2 79.0
Year Value 1991 71.19 2003 68.99 2009 71.80

Literacy rate, adult female (% of females ages 15 and above)

Definition: Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can, with understanding, read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life.

Source: United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute for Statistics.

See also:

Thematic map Country comparison

1991 1994 1996 1999 2001 2004 2006 2009 0.0 11.0 21.9 32.9 43.8 54.8
Year Value 1991 43.73 2003 43.32 2009 49.81

Literacy rate, adult male (% of males ages 15 and above)

Definition: Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can, with understanding, read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life.

Source: United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute for Statistics.

See also:

Thematic map Country comparison

1991 1994 1996 1999 2001 2004 2006 2009 0.0 15.8 31.7 47.5 63.3 79.2
Year Value 1991 67.65

2003 66.77 2009 71.96

Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above)

Definition: Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can, with understanding, read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life.

Source: United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute for Statistics.

See also:

Thematic map Country comparison

1991 1994 1996 1999 2001 2004 2006 2009 0.0 13.4 26.8 40.1 53.5 66.9

Year Value 1991 55.45 2003 54.77 2009 60.82

Home | About | Search | Site Map | Blog | Store | Jobs