From Afghanistan's stark 37.3% adult literacy rate to the near-universal schooling found in nations like Finland, the global education landscape is a story of profound disparity and remarkable achievement.
Key Takeaways
- The adult literacy rate (ages 15 and above) in Afghanistan was 37.3% in 2020
- Albania's youth literacy rate (ages 15-24) reached 99.8% in 2019
- Algeria reported an adult literacy rate of 81.4% for both sexes in 2020
- Canada's adult literacy rate is 99% as per 2021 CIA estimates
- Cape Verde achieved 90.1% primary net enrollment rate in 2019
- Central African Republic's primary gross enrollment ratio was 120.5% in 2020
- Finland's primary net enrollment was virtually 100% in 2019
- France recorded 99.8% lower secondary enrollment rate in 2020
- Gabon's secondary gross enrollment ratio was 91.2% in 2019
- Jamaica had 87.2% secondary net enrollment in 2019
- Japan recorded 63.2% tertiary gross enrollment ratio in 2020
- Jordan achieved 39.8% tertiary enrollment rate in 2019
- Monaco reported high tertiary enrollment near 60% in 2019 estimates
- Montenegro achieved 66.5% tertiary gross enrollment in 2019
- Finland scored 523 in PISA 2022 reading, highest in Europe
Global literacy and test scores vary widely between wealthy and developing nations.
Educational Outcomes
- Monaco reported high tertiary enrollment near 60% in 2019 estimates
- Montenegro achieved 66.5% tertiary gross enrollment in 2019
- Finland scored 523 in PISA 2022 reading, highest in Europe
- Singapore topped PISA 2022 math with 575 points
- Estonia ranked 1st in Europe for PISA 2022 science with 526
- Japan achieved 536 in PISA 2022 reading assessment
- Canada scored 507 average across PISA 2022 subjects
- Ireland's PISA 2022 math score was 492
- Poland improved to 489 in PISA 2022 reading
- South Korea scored 527 in PISA 2022 science
- New Zealand had 479 in PISA 2022 math
- Australia scored 498 average in PISA 2022
- United Kingdom achieved 494 in PISA 2022 reading
- United States scored 465 in PISA 2022 math
- Germany had 475 in PISA 2022 reading
- France scored 474 in PISA 2022 math
- Netherlands achieved 493 in PISA 2022 science
- Switzerland scored 508 in PISA 2022 reading
- Sweden had 482 in PISA 2022 math
- Norway scored 477 average in PISA 2022 subjects
- Denmark achieved 489 in PISA 2022 reading
- Belgium scored 486 in PISA 2022 math
- Austria had 466 in PISA 2022 science
- Hungary scored 472 in PISA 2022 reading
- Czech Republic achieved 465 in PISA 2022 math
- Slovakia had 436 in PISA 2022 science
- Lithuania scored 475 in PISA 2022 reading
- Latvia achieved 474 in PISA 2022 math
Educational Outcomes Interpretation
It seems Europe's educational landscape is a delightful tapestry of overachievers, steady climbers, and the occasional reminder that high enrollment doesn't always guarantee top marks, with Singapore and East Asia coolly dominating from the math and science wings.
Literacy Rates
- The adult literacy rate (ages 15 and above) in Afghanistan was 37.3% in 2020
- Albania's youth literacy rate (ages 15-24) reached 99.8% in 2019
- Algeria reported an adult literacy rate of 81.4% for both sexes in 2020
- Andorra's adult literacy rate is estimated at 100% as of 2018
- Angola's male adult literacy rate stood at 82.8% in 2019
- Antigua and Barbuda achieved a 99% adult literacy rate in 2011
- Argentina's adult literacy rate was 99.0% in 2018
- Armenia had a youth literacy rate of 99.9% in 2019
- Australia's adult literacy rate is approximately 99% as per 2021 estimates
- Austria recorded an adult literacy rate of 98% in 2019
- Azerbaijan's female adult literacy rate was 99.8% in 2019
- Bahamas' adult literacy rate reached 95.6% in 2010
- Bahrain's adult literacy rate for males was 97.5% in 2020
- Bangladesh improved its adult literacy rate to 76.9% in 2020
- Barbados' literacy rate among adults is 99.7% as of 2014
- Belarus achieved 99.9% adult literacy rate in 2019
- Belgium's adult literacy rate is estimated at 99% in 2021
- Belize reported 81.3% female adult literacy in 2010
- Benin's adult literacy rate was 42.4% in 2020
- Bhutan's male literacy rate reached 77.2% in 2020
- Bolivia's youth literacy rate (15-24) was 99.7% in 2019
- Bosnia and Herzegovina had 98.1% adult literacy in 2013
- Botswana's adult literacy rate stood at 88.6% in 2019
- Brazil recorded 93.2% adult literacy rate in 2019
- Brunei Darussalam's literacy rate is 97.5% for adults in 2020
- Bulgaria achieved 98.4% adult literacy in 2018
- Burkina Faso's adult literacy rate was 33.1% in 2020
- Burundi reported 68.4% male adult literacy in 2019
- Cambodia's adult literacy rate reached 83.9% in 2020
- Cameroon's female adult literacy was 70.9% in 2018
Literacy Rates Interpretation
The global literacy map paints a starkly uneven picture, where in some nations reading a bedtime story is a universal childhood ritual while in others it remains a privilege out of reach for most adults.
Primary Enrollment
- Canada's adult literacy rate is 99% as per 2021 CIA estimates
- Cape Verde achieved 90.1% primary net enrollment rate in 2019
- Central African Republic's primary gross enrollment ratio was 120.5% in 2020
- Chad had a primary net enrollment rate of 70.4% for girls in 2019
- Chile's primary completion rate reached 99.8% in 2020
- China's primary net enrollment rate was 99.9% in 2019
- Colombia reported 94.2% primary gross enrollment in 2020
- Comoros' primary net enrollment rate stood at 85.6% in 2018
- Congo (Brazzaville) had 95.3% primary enrollment for boys in 2019
- Congo (Kinshasa) achieved 66.7% primary net enrollment in 2020
- Costa Rica's primary completion rate was 98.5% in 2019
- Croatia recorded 97.1% primary net enrollment rate in 2019
- Cuba had near 100% primary gross enrollment ratio in 2020
- Cyprus' primary enrollment rate for females was 98.9% in 2019
- Czech Republic achieved 99.5% primary net enrollment in 2019
- Denmark's primary completion rate reached 99.9% in 2020
- Djibouti reported 68.2% primary net enrollment in 2019
- Dominica's primary gross enrollment was 101.4% in 2015
- Dominican Republic had 95.6% primary completion rate in 2020
- Ecuador achieved 96.8% primary net enrollment in 2019
- Egypt's primary enrollment ratio was 107.5% gross in 2020
- El Salvador reported 92.3% primary completion in 2019
- Equatorial Guinea had 93.4% primary gross enrollment in 2019
- Eritrea's primary net enrollment rate was 58.6% in 2019
- Estonia achieved 99.2% primary enrollment in 2020
- Eswatini (Swaziland) reported 85.7% primary net enrollment in 2019
- Ethiopia's primary gross enrollment ratio reached 124.3% in 2020
- Fiji had 98.5% primary completion rate in 2019
Primary Enrollment Interpretation
While countries like Canada and Chile can proudly boast literacy and completion rates nearing perfection, this global report card reveals an uneven classroom where some nations, such as Ethiopia, are bursting at the seams with students while others, like Eritrea and Chad, are still struggling to get many of their children, especially girls, through the front door.
Secondary Enrollment
- Finland's primary net enrollment was virtually 100% in 2019
- France recorded 99.8% lower secondary enrollment rate in 2020
- Gabon's secondary gross enrollment ratio was 91.2% in 2019
- Gambia had 47.8% secondary net enrollment for girls in 2020
- Georgia achieved 99.1% lower secondary completion in 2019
- Germany's upper secondary enrollment rate was 95.4% in 2020
- Ghana reported 79.5% secondary gross enrollment in 2020
- Greece had 92.3% lower secondary net enrollment in 2019
- Grenada's secondary enrollment rate stood at 98.7% in 2018
- Guatemala achieved 65.4% secondary gross enrollment in 2020
- Guinea's lower secondary completion rate was 38.2% in 2019
- Guinea-Bissau reported 42.1% secondary enrollment in 2019
- Guyana had 88.5% secondary net enrollment in 2020
- Haiti’s secondary gross enrollment ratio was 88.4% in 2019
- Honduras achieved 74.2% lower secondary enrollment in 2020
- Hungary recorded 99.6% secondary completion rate in 2019
- Iceland's upper secondary enrollment was 98.2% in 2020
- India had 75.6% secondary gross enrollment ratio in 2020
- Indonesia reported 89.4% lower secondary net enrollment in 2019
- Iran achieved 84.7% secondary enrollment in 2020
- Iraq's secondary gross enrollment was 85.2% in 2019
- Ireland had 95.8% upper secondary attainment rate in 2020
- Israel reported 94.6% secondary completion in 2019
- Italy's lower secondary enrollment rate was 99.1% in 2020
- Ivory Coast achieved 51.3% secondary gross enrollment in 2020
Secondary Enrollment Interpretation
The world's report card shows an honors class of near-universal access in many nations, sitting uncomfortably beside the stark, unfinished homework of glaring inequity in others.
Tertiary Enrollment
- Jamaica had 87.2% secondary net enrollment in 2019
- Japan recorded 63.2% tertiary gross enrollment ratio in 2020
- Jordan achieved 39.8% tertiary enrollment rate in 2019
- Kazakhstan had 50.1% tertiary gross enrollment in 2020
- Kenya reported 11.4% tertiary enrollment in 2020
- Kiribati's tertiary enrollment rate was 12.5% in 2018
- Kuwait achieved 52.3% tertiary gross enrollment ratio in 2019
- Kyrgyzstan had 45.7% tertiary enrollment in 2020
- Laos reported 17.9% tertiary gross enrollment in 2019
- Latvia achieved 67.8% tertiary enrollment rate in 2020
- Lebanon had 51.2% tertiary gross enrollment in 2019
- Lesotho's tertiary enrollment was 12.1% in 2020
- Liberia reported 8.7% tertiary enrollment rate in 2019
- Libya achieved 61.4% tertiary gross enrollment in 2018
- Liechtenstein had 25.3% tertiary enrollment in 2019
- Lithuania's tertiary gross enrollment ratio was 72.9% in 2020
- Luxembourg achieved 54.1% tertiary enrollment rate in 2020
- Madagascar reported 4.2% tertiary gross enrollment in 2019
- Malawi had 1.5% tertiary enrollment rate in 2020
- Malaysia achieved 45.6% tertiary gross enrollment in 2020
- Maldives reported 23.4% tertiary enrollment in 2019
- Mali had 9.8% tertiary gross enrollment ratio in 2020
- Malta achieved 79.2% tertiary enrollment rate in 2020
- Marshall Islands reported 12.7% tertiary enrollment in 2016
- Mauritania had 13.4% tertiary gross enrollment in 2019
- Mauritius achieved 49.3% tertiary enrollment rate in 2020
- Mexico reported 39.2% tertiary gross enrollment in 2020
- Micronesia had 10.8% tertiary enrollment in 2018
- Moldova achieved 52.7% tertiary gross enrollment ratio in 2020
- Mongolia had 64.1% tertiary enrollment rate in 2020
Tertiary Enrollment Interpretation
This global academic report card reveals a world where the higher education haves, like Lithuania and Malta, are in a heated debate over who gets the top bunk, while the have-nots, like Malawi and Madagascar, are still trying to find the classroom door.
Sources & References
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