Ranked: The 8 least educated countries in the world – and three most educated

Education remains one of the strongest indicators of a country’s development, influencing economic growth, health outcomes, innovation and social mobility.

While global literacy has risen to about 87.7%, significant disparities remain, with several countries still recording literacy rates below 50% due to conflict, poverty, inequality and weak education systems.

At the other end are nations that have invested heavily in education, producing some of the world’s most educated populations.

Least educated countries

1. Chad
With an adult literacy rate of about 30.6%, Chad ranks as the world’s least educated country, weighed down by poverty, conflict and one of the lowest female literacy rates globally.

2. Mali
Mali’s literacy rate remains around 31%, with insecurity, poverty and limited access to schools leaving adults with an average of just 1.6 years of education.

3. South Sudan
Years of conflict and political instability have left South Sudan with a literacy rate of roughly 34.5% and one of Africa’s weakest education systems.

4. Niger
Niger records the world’s lowest average years of schooling at just 1.4 years, with early marriage, insecurity and poverty limiting access to education.

5. Afghanistan
Afghanistan’s education crisis has deepened since the Taliban barred girls from secondary schools and universities, widening one of the world’s largest gender literacy gaps.

6. Central African Republic
Civil conflict, poor infrastructure and a severe shortage of teachers have kept literacy in the Central African Republic at around 37.5%.

7. Somalia
Decades of conflict and weak institutions have left more than three million Somali children out of school, contributing to an adult literacy rate of about 41%.

8. Guinea
Guinea remains among the world’s least educated countries due to low literacy levels and a nearly 30-percentage-point gap between male and female literacy.

Most educated countries

1. Canada
Canada ranks as the world’s most educated country, with nearly 65% of working-age adults holding a college or university qualification.

2. Japan
Japan combines near-universal literacy with one of the world’s highest tertiary education attainment rates, making it a global education leader.

3. Ireland
Ireland boasts Europe’s highest university degree attainment rate, driven by sustained investment in higher education and strong graduate employment.

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