| |
| Illiteracy | % Female | Total (000) |
| Time Range | 1985-1994 | 2005-2008 | Projected 2015 | 1985-1994 | 2005-2008 | Projected 2015 |
  |   |   |   |   |   |
| Country | | | | | | | |
| Afghanistan | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Albania | | .. | 41 | 41 | .. | 4 | 4 |
| Algeria | | 73 | 65 | 50 | 1 215 | 609 | 288 |
| Andorra | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Angola | | .. | 65 | 60 | .. | 993 | 1 233 |
| Anguilla | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Antigua and Barbuda | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Argentina | | 42 | 41 | 35 | 91 | 57 | 48 |
| Armenia | | 49 | 40 | 32 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Aruba | | .. | 43 | 40 | .. | 0 | 0 |
| Australia | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Austria | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Azerbaijan | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Bahamas | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Bahrain | | 53 | 56 | 48 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Bangladesh | | 56 | 47 | 41 | 13 272 | 8 441 | 5 630 |
| Barbados | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Belarus | | 43 | 39 | 39 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Belgium | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Belize | | 49 | .. | 44 | 10 | .. | 8 |
| Benin | | 62 | 61 | 61 | 581 | 791 | 825 |
| Bermuda | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Bhutan | | .. | 59 | 55 | .. | 38 | 17 |
| Bolivia | | 70 | 77 | 66 | 83 | 10 | 6 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | | .. | 81 | 77 | .. | 4 | 4 |
| Botswana | | 35 | 37 | 27 | 31 | 22 | 11 |
| Brazil | | .. | 32 | 30 | .. | 765 | 388 |
| Brunei Darussalam | | 49 | 56 | 66 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Bulgaria | | .. | 49 | 47 | .. | 26 | 28 |
| Burkina Faso | | 54 | 55 | 51 | 1 452 | 1 772 | 2 004 |
| Burundi | | 56 | 51 | 46 | 495 | 452 | 395 |
| Cambodia | | .. | 57 | 49 | .. | 436 | 257 |
| Cameroon | | .. | 58 | 51 | .. | 565 | 541 |
| Canada | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Cape Verde | | 58 | 28 | 19 | 8 | 2 | 1 |
| Cayman Islands | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Central African Republic | | 64 | 61 | 58 | 267 | 315 | 330 |
| Chad | | .. | 57 | 53 | 1 038 | 1 176 | 1 244 |
| Chile | | 41 | 47 | 52 | 38 | 25 | 30 |
| China | | 73 | 55 | 52 | 14 096 | 1 610 | 892 |
| Colombia | | 43 | 38 | 34 | 657 | 168 | 126 |
| Comoros | | .. | 52 | 47 | .. | 20 | 18 |
| Congo | | .. | 62 | .. | .. | 126 | .. |
| Congo, The Democratic Republic of the | | .. | 55 | 48 | .. | 4 462 | 6 411 |
| Cook Islands | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Costa Rica | | .. | 37 | 35 | .. | 16 | 13 |
| Côte d''Ivoire | | 60 | 59 | 55 | 1 065 | 1 392 | 1 483 |
| Croatia | | 53 | 42 | 42 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Cuba | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Cyprus | | 44 | 32 | 49 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Czech Republic | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Denmark | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Djibouti | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Dominica | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Dominican Republic | | .. | 36 | 30 | .. | 79 | 48 |
| Ecuador | | 54 | 47 | 34 | 79 | 116 | 39 |
| Egypt | | 61 | 59 | 56 | 3 748 | 2 597 | 1 153 |
| El Salvador | | 51 | 45 | 43 | 164 | 49 | 54 |
| Equatorial Guinea | | .. | 44 | 34 | .. | 3 | 3 |
| Eritrea | | .. | 64 | 59 | .. | 126 | 76 |
| Estonia | | 35 | 39 | 32 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Ethiopia | | 54 | 62 | .. | 6 843 | 8 117 | .. |
| Fiji | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Finland | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| France | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Gabon | | 59 | 69 | 73 | 12 | 8 | 6 |
| Gambia | | .. | 58 | 54 | .. | 111 | 107 |
| Georgia | | .. | 33 | 39 | .. | 1 | 1 |
| Germany | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Ghana | | .. | 52 | 47 | .. | 987 | 825 |
| Greece | | 49 | 52 | 53 | 16 | 8 | 6 |
| Grenada | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Guatemala | | 62 | 59 | 56 | 462 | 386 | 361 |
| Guinea | | .. | 59 | 55 | .. | 803 | 598 |
| Guinea-Bissau | | .. | 63 | 58 | .. | 87 | 80 |
| Guyana | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Haiti | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Honduras | | .. | 40 | 35 | .. | 93 | 64 |
| Hungary | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Iceland | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| India | | 64 | 67 | 62 | 63 946 | 40 682 | 23 822 |
| Indonesia | | 65 | 55 | 45 | 1 378 | 1 387 | 1 067 |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | | 70 | 57 | 49 | 1 474 | 614 | 248 |
| Iraq | | .. | 55 | 48 | .. | 1 048 | 1 467 |
| Ireland | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Israel | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Italy | | .. | 49 | 49 | .. | 6 | 6 |
| Jamaica | | .. | 18 | 17 | .. | 25 | 19 |
| Japan | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Jordan | | .. | 49 | 59 | .. | 13 | 3 |
| Kazakhstan | | 44 | 33 | 39 | 8 | 5 | 6 |
| Kenya | | .. | 46 | 37 | .. | 634 | 716 |
| Kiribati | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Korea, Democratic People's Republic of | | .. | 33 | 33 | .. | 0 | 0 |
| Korea | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Kuwait | | 62 | 44 | 43 | 37 | 7 | 3 |
| Kyrgyzstan | | .. | 37 | 29 | .. | 5 | 6 |
| Lao People's Democratic Republic | | .. | 66 | 64 | .. | 197 | 151 |
| Latvia | | 40 | 49 | 42 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Lebanon | | .. | 36 | 38 | .. | 10 | 7 |
| Lesotho | | .. | 13 | 11 | .. | 39 | 38 |
| Liberia | | 57 | 41 | 31 | 141 | 189 | 188 |
| Libyan Arab Jamahiriya | | 86 | 74 | 100 | 23 | 2 | 1 |
| Lithuania | | 44 | 49 | 49 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Luxembourg | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Macao Special Administrative Region of China | | .. | 44 | 26 | .. | 0 | 0 |
| Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of | | 62 | 56 | 52 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Madagascar | | .. | 54 | .. | .. | 1 109 | .. |
| Malawi | | 64 | 53 | 45 | 616 | 414 | 387 |
| Malaysia | | 53 | 46 | 41 | 155 | 82 | 51 |
| Maldives | | 48 | 45 | 38 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Mali | | .. | 57 | 55 | .. | 1 553 | 1 372 |
| Malta | | 26 | 25 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Marshall Islands | | .. | 39 | .. | .. | 17 | 12 |
| Mauritania | | .. | 54 | 52 | .. | 214 | 211 |
| Mauritius | | 46 | 36 | 31 | 20 | 7 | 6 |
| Mexico | | 56 | 52 | 48 | 828 | 318 | 211 |
| Micronesia, Federated States of | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Moldova, Republic of | | 48 | 30 | 33 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Monaco | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Mongolia | | .. | 29 | 25 | .. | 29 | 45 |
| Montenegro, Republic of | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Montserrat | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Morocco | | 65 | 68 | 67 | 2 239 | 1 508 | 1 017 |
| Mozambique | | .. | 63 | 61 | .. | 1 316 | 1 175 |
| Myanmar | | .. | 55 | 50 | .. | 415 | 324 |
| Namibia | | 40 | 37 | 32 | 36 | 32 | 32 |
| Nauru | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Nepal | | 67 | 63 | 60 | 1 865 | 1 139 | 812 |
| Netherlands | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Netherlands Antilles | | 44 | 49 | 49 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| New Zealand | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Nicaragua | | .. | 43 | 38 | .. | 154 | 108 |
| Niger | | .. | 65 | 61 | .. | 1 490 | 1 881 |
| Nigeria | | 67 | 62 | 57 | 5 257 | 8 672 | 8 832 |
| Niue | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Norway | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Oman | | .. | 47 | 54 | .. | 14 | 5 |
| Pakistan | | .. | 64 | 60 | .. | 11 626 | 9 801 |
| Palau | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Occupied Palestinian Territory | | .. | 56 | 49 | .. | 7 | 6 |
| Panama | | 52 | 52 | 50 | 25 | 21 | 21 |
| Papua New Guinea | | .. | 46 | 40 | .. | 426 | 478 |
| Paraguay | | 52 | 50 | 49 | 37 | 15 | 14 |
| Peru | | 67 | 62 | 55 | 216 | 145 | 108 |
| Philippines | | 45 | 40 | 38 | 432 | 946 | 1 006 |
| Poland | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Portugal | | 46 | 49 | 49 | 13 | 4 | 2 |
| Qatar | | 31 | 26 | .. | 6 | 2 | 1 |
| Romania | | 53 | 45 | 42 | 35 | 83 | 88 |
| Russian Federation | | 44 | 33 | 37 | 55 | 68 | 59 |
| Rwanda | | .. | 51 | 49 | 305 | 509 | 497 |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Saint Lucia | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Samoa | | 49 | 43 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| San Marino | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Sao Tome and Principe | | 65 | 45 | 35 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Saudi Arabia | | 74 | 70 | 77 | 369 | 127 | 71 |
| Senegal | | 59 | 57 | 54 | 840 | 1 178 | 1 307 |
| Serbia, Republic of | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Seychelles | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Sierra Leone | | .. | 63 | 64 | .. | 479 | 412 |
| Singapore | | 44 | 38 | 32 | 6 | 2 | 1 |
| Slovak Republic | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Slovenia | | 44 | 32 | 32 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Solomon Islands | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Somalia | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| South Africa | | .. | 39 | 35 | .. | 322 | 211 |
| Spain | | 47 | 44 | 48 | 29 | 21 | 14 |
| Sri Lanka | | .. | 34 | 29 | .. | 71 | 35 |
| Sudan | | .. | 61 | 58 | .. | 1 235 | 1 025 |
| Suriname | | .. | 54 | 54 | .. | 4 | 4 |
| Swaziland | | 51 | 39 | 35 | 23 | 19 | 17 |
| Sweden | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Switzerland | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Syrian Arab Republic | | .. | 62 | 60 | .. | 272 | 165 |
| Tajikistan | | 56 | 50 | 49 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Tanzania, United Republic of | | 62 | 53 | 49 | 831 | 1 909 | 2 363 |
| Thailand | | .. | 53 | 51 | .. | 210 | 138 |
| Timor-Leste | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Togo | | .. | 61 | 52 | .. | 220 | 160 |
| Tokelau | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Tonga | | .. | 37 | 35 | .. | 0 | 0 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | | 50 | 50 | 50 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Tunisia | | .. | 68 | 61 | .. | 62 | 25 |
| Turkey | | 77 | 80 | 77 | 859 | 470 | 332 |
| Turkmenistan | | .. | 33 | 33 | .. | 2 | 2 |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Tuvalu | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Uganda | | 62 | 57 | 52 | 1 060 | 820 | 693 |
| Ukraine | | .. | .. | 39 | .. | .. | .. |
| United Arab Emirates | | 38 | 24 | 63 | 36 | 34 | 3 |
| United Kingdom | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| United States | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Uruguay | | 37 | 32 | 40 | 6 | 5 | 6 |
| Uzbekistan | | .. | 59 | 49 | .. | 15 | 12 |
| Vanuatu | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Venezuela | | 39 | 36 | 43 | 176 | 85 | 63 |
| Viet Nam | | 54 | 56 | 55 | 828 | 556 | 407 |
| British Virgin Islands | | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Yemen | | 78 | 85 | 87 | 1 122 | 868 | 577 |
| Zambia | | 51 | 64 | 65 | 527 | 641 | 797 |
| Zimbabwe | | 62 | 26 | 14 | 102 | 36 | 23 |