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

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

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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.

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

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Least educated countries

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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%.

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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%.

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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.

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Most educated countries

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

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

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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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