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People > Literacy > Definition: Countries Compared

DEFINITION: This entry is derived from People > Literacy, which includes a definition of literacy and Census Bureau percentages for the total population, males, and females. There are no universal definitions and standards of literacy. Unless otherwise specified, all rates are based on the most common definition - the ability to read and write at a specified age. Detailing the standards that individual countries use to assess the ability to read and write is beyond the scope of the Factbook. Information on literacy, while not a perfect measure of educational results, is probably the most easily available and valid for international comparisons. Low levels of literacy, and education in general, can impede the economic development of a country in the current rapidly changing, technology-driven world.
COUNTRY
DESCRIPTION
AfghanistanAfghanistan age 15 and over can read and write
AlbaniaAlbania age 9 and over can read and write
AlgeriaAlgeria age 15 and over can read and write
American SamoaAmerican Samoa age 15 and over can read and write
AndorraAndorra age 15 and over can read and write
AngolaAngola age 15 and over can read and write
AnguillaAnguilla age 12 and over can read and write
Antigua and BarbudaAntigua and Barbuda age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling
ArgentinaArgentina age 10 and over can read and write
ArmeniaArmenia age 15 and over can read and write
ArubaAruba age 15 and over can read and write
AustraliaAustralia age 15 and over can read and write
AustriaAustria age 15 and over can read and write
AzerbaijanAzerbaijan age 15 and over can read and write
BahrainBahrain age 15 and over can read and write
BangladeshBangladesh age 15 and over can read and write
BarbadosBarbados age 15 and over has ever attended school
BelarusBelarus age 15 and over can read and write
BelgiumBelgium age 15 and over can read and write
BelizeBelize age 15 and over can read and write
BeninBenin age 15 and over can read and write
BermudaBermuda age 15 and over can read and write
BhutanBhutan age 15 and over can read and write
BoliviaBolivia age 15 and over can read and write
Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina age 15 and over can read and write
BotswanaBotswana age 15 and over can read and write
BrazilBrazil age 15 and over can read and write
British Virgin IslandsBrit. Virgin Isl. age 15 and over can read and write
BruneiBrunei age 15 and over can read and write
BulgariaBulgaria age 15 and over can read and write
Burkina FasoBurkina Faso age 15 and over can read and write
BurmaBurma age 15 and over can read and write
BurundiBurundi age 15 and over can read and write
CambodiaCambodia age 15 and over can read and write
CameroonCameroon age 15 and over can read and write
CanadaCanada age 15 and over can read and write
Cape VerdeCape Verde age 15 and over can read and write
Cayman IslandsCayman Islands age 15 and over has ever attended school
Central African RepublicCentral Africa age 15 and over can read and write
ChadChad age 15 and over can read and write French or Arabic
ChileChile age 15 and over can read and write
ChinaChina age 15 and over can read and write
ColombiaColombia age 15 and over can read and write
ComorosComoros age 15 and over can read and write
Congo, Republic of theCongo, Republic of the age 15 and over can read and write
Cook IslandsCook Islands age 15 and over can read and write
Costa RicaCosta Rica age 15 and over can read and write
Cote d'IvoireCote d'Ivoire age 15 and over can read and write
CroatiaCroatia age 15 and over can read and write
CubaCuba age 15 and over can read and write
CyprusCyprus age 15 and over can read and write
Democratic Republic of the CongoCongo, DR. age 15 and over can read and write French, Lingala, Kingwana, or Tshiluba
DenmarkDenmark age 15 and over can read and write
DjiboutiDjibouti age 15 and over can read and write
DominicaDominica age 15 and over has ever attended school
Dominican RepublicDominican Rep. age 15 and over can read and write
East TimorEast Timor age 15 and over can read and write
EcuadorEcuador age 15 and over can read and write
EgyptEgypt age 15 and over can read and write
El SalvadorEl Salvador age 15 and over can read and write
Equatorial GuineaEqu. Guinea age 15 and over can read and write
EritreaEritrea age 15 and over can read and write
EstoniaEstonia age 15 and over can read and write
EthiopiaEthiopia age 15 and over can read and write
Federated States of MicronesiaMicronesia age 15 and over can read and write
FijiFiji age 15 and over can read and write
FinlandFinland age 15 and over can read and write
FranceFrance age 15 and over can read and write
French PolynesiaFr. Polynesia age 14 and over can read and write
GabonGabon age 15 and over can read and write
Gaza StripGaza Strip age 15 and over can read and write
GeorgiaGeorgia age 15 and over can read and write
GermanyGermany age 15 and over can read and write
GhanaGhana age 15 and over can read and write
GreeceGreece age 15 and over can read and write
GreenlandGreenland age 15 and over can read and write
GrenadaGrenada age 15 and over can read and write
GuamGuam age 15 and over can read and write
GuatemalaGuatemala age 15 and over can read and write
GuineaGuinea age 15 and over can read and write
Guinea-BissauGuinea-Bissau age 15 and over can read and write
GuyanaGuyana age 15 and over has ever attended school
HaitiHaiti age 15 and over can read and write
Holy See (Vatican City)Vatican City age 15 and over can read and write
HondurasHonduras age 15 and over can read and write
Hong KongHong Kong age 15 and over has ever attended school
HungaryHungary age 15 and over can read and write
IcelandIceland age 15 and over can read and write
IndiaIndia age 15 and over can read and write
IndonesiaIndonesia age 15 and over can read and write
IranIran age 15 and over can read and write
IraqIraq age 15 and over can read and write
IrelandIreland age 15 and over can read and write
IsraelIsrael age 15 and over can read and write
ItalyItaly age 15 and over can read and write
JamaicaJamaica age 15 and over has ever attended school
JapanJapan age 15 and over can read and write
JordanJordan age 15 and over can read and write
KazakhstanKazakhstan age 15 and over can read and write
KenyaKenya age 15 and over can read and write
KosovoKosovo age 15 and over can read and write
KuwaitKuwait age 15 and over can read and write
KyrgyzstanKyrgyzstan age 15 and over can read and write
LaosLaos age 15 and over can read and write
LatviaLatvia age 15 and over can read and write
LebanonLebanon age 15 and over can read and write
LesothoLesotho age 15 and over can read and write
LiberiaLiberia age 15 and over can read and write
LibyaLibya age 15 and over can read and write
LiechtensteinLiechtenstein age 10 and over can read and write
LithuaniaLithuania age 15 and over can read and write
LuxembourgLuxembourg age 15 and over can read and write
MacauMacau age 15 and over can read and write
MadagascarMadagascar age 15 and over can read and write
MalawiMalawi age 15 and over can read and write
MalaysiaMalaysia age 15 and over can read and write
MaldivesMaldives age 15 and over can read and write
MaliMali age 15 and over can read and write
MaltaMalta age 15 and over can read and write
Marshall IslandsMarshall Isl. age 15 and over can read and write
MauritaniaMauritania age 15 and over can read and write
MauritiusMauritius age 15 and over can read and write
MexicoMexico age 15 and over can read and write
MoldovaMoldova age 15 and over can read and write
MonacoMonaco age 15 and over can read and write
MongoliaMongolia age 15 and over can read and write
MontenegroMontenegro age 15 and over can read and write
MontserratMontserrat age 15 and over has ever attended school
MoroccoMorocco age 15 and over can read and write
MozambiqueMozambique age 15 and over can read and write
NamibiaNamibia age 15 and over can read and write
NepalNepal age 15 and over can read and write
NetherlandsNetherlands age 15 and over can read and write
New CaledoniaNew Caledonia age 15 and over can read and write
New ZealandNew Zealand age 15 and over can read and write
NicaraguaNicaragua age 15 and over can read and write
NigerNiger age 15 and over can read and write
NigeriaNigeria age 15 and over can read and write
North KoreaNorth Korea age 15 and over can read and write
Northern Mariana IslandsN. Mariana age 15 and over can read and write
NorwayNorway age 15 and over can read and write
OmanOman age 15 and over can read and write
PakistanPakistan age 15 and over can read and write
PalauPalau age 15 and over can read and write
PanamaPanama age 15 and over can read and write
Papua New GuineaPapua NG age 15 and over can read and write
ParaguayParaguay age 15 and over can read and write
PeruPeru age 15 and over can read and write
PhilippinesPhilippines age 15 and over can read and write
PolandPoland age 15 and over can read and write
PortugalPortugal age 15 and over can read and write
Puerto RicoPuerto Rico age 15 and over can read and write
QatarQatar age 15 and over can read and write
Republic of MacedoniaMacedonia Rep. age 15 and over can read and write
RomaniaRomania age 15 and over can read and write
RussiaRussia age 15 and over can read and write
RwandaRwanda age 15 and over can read and write
Saint HelenaSaint Helena age 20 and over can read and write
Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da CunhaSaint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha age 20 and over can read and write
Saint Kitts and NevisSt Kitts+ age 15 and over has ever attended school
Saint LuciaSaint Lucia age 15 and over has ever attended school
Saint Pierre and MiquelonSt Pierre+ age 15 and over can read and write
Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesSt Vincent+ age 15 and over has ever attended school
SamoaSamoa age 15 and over can read and write
San MarinoSan Marino age 10 and over can read and write
Sao Tome and PrincipeSoa Tome+ age 15 and over can read and write
Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia age 15 and over can read and write
SenegalSenegal age 15 and over can read and write
SerbiaSerbia age 15 and over can read and write
SeychellesSeychelles age 15 and over can read and write
Sierra LeoneSierra Leone age 15 and over can read and write English, Mende, Temne, or Arabic
SingaporeSingapore age 15 and over can read and write
SlovakiaSlovakia age 15 and over can read and write
Solomon IslandsSolomon Islands age 15 and over can read and write
SomaliaSomalia age 15 and over can read and write
South AfricaSouth Africa age 15 and over can read and write
South KoreaSouth Korea age 15 and over can read and write
South SudanSouth Sudan age 15 and over can read and write
SpainSpain age 15 and over can read and write
Sri LankaSri Lanka age 15 and over can read and write
SudanSudan age 15 and over can read and write
SurinameSuriname age 15 and over can read and write
SwazilandSwaziland age 15 and over can read and write
SwedenSweden age 15 and over can read and write
SwitzerlandSwitzerland age 15 and over can read and write
SyriaSyria age 15 and over can read and write
TaiwanTaiwan age 15 and over can read and write
TajikistanTajikistan age 15 and over can read and write
TanzaniaTanzania age 15 and over can read and write Kiswahili (Swahili), English, or Arabic
ThailandThailand age 15 and over can read and write
The BahamasThe Bahamas age 15 and over can read and write
The GambiaThe Gambia age 15 and over can read and write
TogoTogo age 15 and over can read and write
TongaTonga can read and write Tongan and/or English
Trinidad and TobagoTrinidad+ age 15 and over can read and write
TunisiaTunisia age 15 and over can read and write
TurkeyTurkey age 15 and over can read and write
TurkmenistanTurkmenistan age 15 and over can read and write
Turks and Caicos IslandsTurks+ age 15 and over has ever attended school
UgandaUganda age 15 and over can read and write
UkraineUkraine age 15 and over can read and write
United Arab EmiratesUAE age 15 and over can read and write
United KingdomUnited Kingdom age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling
United StatesUnited States age 15 and over can read and write
UruguayUruguay age 15 and over can read and write
UzbekistanUzbekistan age 15 and over can read and write
VanuatuVanuatu age 15 and over can read and write
VenezuelaVenezuela age 15 and over can read and write
VietnamVietnam age 15 and over can read and write
Virgin IslandsVirgin Islands age 15 and over can read and write
Wallis and FutunaWallis+ age 15 and over can read and write
West BankWest Bank age 15 and over can read and write
YemenYemen age 15 and over can read and write
ZambiaZambia age 15 and over can read and write English
ZimbabweZimbabwe age 15 and over can read and write English

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