Literacy (2003) | Literacy (2005) | ||
Angola | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 42% male: 56% female: 28% (1998 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 66.8% male: 82.1% female: 53.8% (2001 est.) |
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Azerbaijan | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97% male: 99% female: 96% (1989 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.8% male: 99.5% female: 98.2% (1999 est.) |
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Barbados | definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 97.4% male: 98% female: 96.8% (1995 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 99.7% male: 99.7% female: 99.7% (2002 est.) |
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Benin | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 40.9% male: 56.2% female: 26.5% (2000) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 33.6% male: 46.4% female: 22.6% (2002 est.) |
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Bosnia and Herzegovina | definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94.6% male: 98.4% female: 91.1% (2000 est.) |
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Brunei | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91.8% male: 94.8% female: 88.5% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.9% male: 96.3% female: 91.4% (2002) |
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Burma | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83.1% male: 88.7% female: 77.7% (1995 est.) note: these are official statistics; estimates of functional literacy are likely closer to 30% (1999 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 85.3% male: 89.2% female: 81.4% (2002) |
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Cambodia | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 69.9% male: 80.5% female: 60.3% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 73.6% male: 84.7% female: 64.1% (2004 est.) |
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China | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86% male: 92.9% female: 78.8% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 90.9% male: 95.1% female: 86.5% (2002) |
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Denmark | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100% male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% |
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East Timor | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 48% (2001) male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 58.6% (2002) |
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Faroe Islands | definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% note: similar to Denmark proper |
definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% note: probably the same as Denmark proper |
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Finland | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100% (1980 est.) male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100% (2000 est.) male: 100% female: 100% |
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Gaza Strip | definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91.9% male: 96.3% female: 87.4% (2003 est.) |
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Germany | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% (1977 est.) male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% (1997 est.) male: NA% female: NA% |
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Holy See (Vatican City) | definition: NA
total population: 100% male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: NA
total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% |
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Hong Kong | definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 94% male: 97.1% female: 90.5% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 93.5% male: 96.9% female: 89.6% (2002) |
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Indonesia | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 88.5% male: 92.9% female: 84.1% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 87.9% male: 92.5% female: 83.4% (2002 est.) |
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Ireland | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98% (1981 est.) male: NA female: NA |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98% (1981 est.) male: NA% female: NA% |
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Japan | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% (1995 est.) male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2002) |
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Korea, North | definition: age 15 and over can read and write Korean
total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% |
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Korea, South | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.1% male: 99.3% female: 97% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.9% male: 99.2% female: 96.6% (2002) |
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Kyrgyzstan | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97% male: 99% female: 96% (1989 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.7% male: 99.3% female: 98.1% (1999 est.) |
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Laos | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 52.8% male: 67.5% female: 38.1% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 66.4% male: 77.4% female: 55.5% (2002) |
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Liberia | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 57.5% male: 73.3% female: 41.6% note: (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 57.5% male: 73.3% female: 41.6% (2003 est.) |
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Liechtenstein | definition: age 10 and over can read and write
total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% (1981 est.) |
definition: age 10 and over can read and write
total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% |
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Macedonia | - | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.1% male: 98.2% female: 94.1% (2002 est.) |
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Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of | definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
- | |
Malaysia | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 88.9% male: 92.4% female: 85.4% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 88.7% male: 92% female: 85.4% (2002) |
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Mongolia | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.1% male: 99.2% female: 99% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.8% male: 98% female: 97.5% (2002) |
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Norway | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100% male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% |
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Pakistan | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 45.7% male: 59.8% female: 30.6% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 48.7% male: 61.7% female: 35.2% (2004 est.) |
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Papua New Guinea | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 66% male: 72.3% female: 59.3% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 64.6% male: 71.1% female: 57.7% (2002) |
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Peru | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 90.9% male: 95.2% female: 86.8% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 87.7% male: 93.5% female: 82.1% (2004 est.) |
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Philippines | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.9% male: 96% female: 95.8% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.6% male: 92.5% female: 92.7% (2002) |
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Puerto Rico | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.8% male: 93.7% female: 94% (2001) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94.1% male: 93.9% female: 94.4% (2002 est.) |
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Qatar | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 82.5% male: 81.4% female: 85% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 89% male: 89.1% female: 88.6% (2004 est.) |
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Saint Lucia | definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 67% male: 65% female: 69% (1980 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 90.1% male: 89.5% female: 90.6% (2001 est.) |
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Serbia and Montenegro | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93% male: 97.2% female: 88.9% (1991) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.4% male: 98.9% female: 94.1% (2002 est.) |
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Seychelles | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 58% male: 56% female: 60% (1971 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91.9% male: 91.4% female: 92.3% (2003 est.) |
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Sierra Leone | definition: age 15 and over can read and write English, Mende, Temne, or Arabic
total population: 31.4% male: 45.4% female: 18.2% (1995 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write English, Mende, Temne, or Arabic
total population: 29.6% male: 39.8% female: 20.5% (2000 est.) |
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Singapore | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.2% male: 96.7% female: 89.7% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.5% male: 96.6% female: 88.6% (2002) |
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Slovakia | definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.6% male: 99.7% female: 99.6% (2001 est.) |
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Suriname | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93% male: 95% female: 91% (1995 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 88% male: 92.3% female: 84.1% (2000 est.) |
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Switzerland | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% (1980 est.) male: female: |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% (1980 est.) male: NA% female: NA% |
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Taiwan | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86% male: 93% female: 79% (1980) note: literacy for the total population has reportedly increased to 94% (1998) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.1% (2003) |
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Thailand | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96% male: 97.5% female: 94.6% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.6% male: 94.9% female: 90.5% (2002) |
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Tonga | definition: can read and write Tongan and/or English
total population: 98.5% male: 98.4% female: 98.7% (1996 est.) |
definition: can read and write Tongan and/or English
total population: 98.9% male: 98.8% female: 99% (1996 est.) |
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Tunisia | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 74.2% male: 84% female: 64.4% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 74.3% male: 83.4% female: 65.3% (2004 est.) |
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Turkmenistan | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98% male: 99% female: 97% (1989 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.8% male: 99.3% female: 98.3% (1995 est.) |
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Tuvalu | definition: NA%
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
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United States | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97% male: 97% female: 97% (1979 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97% male: 97% female: 97% (1999 est.) |
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Vanuatu | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 53% male: 57% female: 48% (1979 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 74% male: NA% female: NA% (1999 est.) |
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Vietnam | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94% male: 95.8% female: 92.3% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 90.3% male: 93.9% female: 86.9% (2002) |
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West Bank | definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91.9% male: 96.3% female: 87.4% (2003 est.) |
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World | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 77% male: 83% female: 71% (1995 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 82% male: 87% female: 77% note: over two-thirds of the world's 785 million illiterate adults are found in only eight countries (India, China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Egypt); of all the illiterate adults in the world, two-thirds are women; extremely low literacy rates are concentrated in three regions, South and West Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Arab states, where around one-third of the men and half of all women are illiterate (2005 est.) |