Based on research conducted, the reading scores for the majority of kids between the fourth and eighth grades were higher in 2017 than the scores made in 1992, though not higher than the scores two years prior.
The gap in performance between specific ethnic groups, like black and white students from white and Hispanics, was lowered between the years 1992 and 2017, but not too drastically from 2015 to 2017.
The average eighth-grade girl scored 10 points more than the eighth-grade boys did in reading exams in 2017.
Students in the fourth grade improved their reading by 5 points from 1992 to 2017, with eighth-grade kids improving theirs by 7 points from the same period.
The best three states with the lowest child literacy rates are Massachusetts, Maryland, and New Hampshire.
States with the highest rates of child literacy are Louisiana, Mississippi, and New Mexico.
Throughout the United States, 68% of fourth-grade students in 2013 could read with proficiency, a 6% boost since 2003.
Child Literacy Rates by State (4th Grade)
State
Rank (lower is better)
Students Not Reading Proficiently (%)
Lower Income Students Not Reading Proficiently (%)
Higher Income Students Not Reading Proficiently (%)
Improvement since 2003 (%)
Alabama
35
69
82
51
12
Alaska
44
73
85
60
-1
Arizona
40
72
85
57
6
Arkansas
32
68
78
54
6
California
43
73
85
54
8
Colorado
8
59
79
54
6
Connecticut
5
57
81
43
0
Delaware
13
62
75
48
7
District of Columbia
45
77
87
39
14
Florida
12
61
73
42
10
Georgia
26
66
79
47
10
Hawaii
37
70
83
57
11
Idaho
31
67
78
56
4
Illinois
28
66
84
48
4
Indiana
14 (tied)
62
75
49
7
Iowa
16
62
77
52
5
Kansas
14 (tied)
62
78
46
7
Kentucky
21
64
77
49
7
Louisiana
46
77
85
58
4
Maine
19 (tied)
63
76
52
2
Maryland
2
55
76
42
19
Massachusetts
1
53
75
38
12
Michigan
34
69
81
58
-1
Minnesota
9
59
77
48
6
Mississippi
47
79
85
58
4
Missouri
23
65
77
51
2
Montana
24
65
78
54
0
Nebraska
19 (tied)
63
77
51
7
Nevada
42
73
83
56
9
New Hampshire
3
55
76
47
8
New Jersey
7
58
78
44
5
New Mexico
48
79
85
61
2
New York
18
63
77
47
5
North Carolina
22
65
78
47
3
North Dakota
29
66
78
60
3
Ohio
17
63
80
48
5
Oklahoma
36
70
79
57
5
Oregon
30
67
79
50
3
Pennsylvania
10
60
77
45
10
Rhode Island
15
62
81
45
13
South Carolina
39
72
83
54
3
South Dakota
33
68
82
58
-1
Tennessee
27
66
82
48
11
Texas
38
72
83
53
-1
Utah
20 (tied)
63
76
54
7
Vermont
6
58
74
46
8
Virginia
4
57
79
44
12
Washington
11
60
77
47
10
West Virginia
41
73
76
63
-3
Wisconsin
25
65
80
53
3
Wyoming
20 (tied)
63
76
54
5
Average
24
66
80
49
6
Adult Literacy Statistics
The literacy rate for Americans aged 18 and older is 88%.
From 2012 to 2017, a survey conducted with 12,330 adult participants aged between 16 and 74 had a mean score of 264 out of 500 on a literacy test. There were participants from every state and county within the total that took the exam.
Literacy rates in the US correlate with the number of immigrants residing in a specific state, whether or not they're legal or illegal. States with large numbers of legal and illegal immigrants have a 60% greater chance of illiteracy rates being above 20% for the adult population.
Adult Literacy Rate and PIACC Score Estimate by State
State
Literacy Rate (%)
Literacy Rank
PIACC Estimate
PIACC Rank
Alabama
85.2
39
259
44
Alaska
90.8
19
277
5
Arizona
86.9
33
262
37
Arkansas
86.3
37
259
45
California
76.9
50
257
46
Colorado
90.1
22
272
16
Connecticut
91.4
15
271
18
Delaware
89.3
26
264
34
District of Columbia
n/a
n/a
277
4
Florida
80.3
48
259
43
Georgia
83.3
45
260
39
Hawaii
84.1
40
270
22
Idaho
89.5
25
270
24
Illinois
87.1
32
266
31
Indiana
92.0
12
266
27
Iowa
92.5
9
273
9
Kansas
92.2
11
271
19
Kentucky
87.8
29
261
38
Louisiana
84.0
41
252
51
Maine
92.6
8
273
11
Maryland
88.8
27
268
26
Massachusetts
90.1
23
273
13
Michigan
91.7
13
271
21
Minnesota
94.0
2
279
2
Mississippi
84.0
42
252
49
Missouri
92.5
10
266
30
Montana
91.2
16
273
14
Nebraska
92.7
6
271
17
Nevada
83.9
43
255
47
New Hampshire
94.2
1
279
1
New Jersey
83.1
46
264
33
New Mexico
83.5
44
252
50
New York
77.9
49
260
42
North Carolina
86.4
36
265
32
North Dakota
93.7
3
276
6
Ohio
90.9
18
268
25
Oklahoma
87.7
30
263
35
Oregon
89.8
24
273
10
Pennsylvania
87.4
31
266
28
Rhode Island
91.5
14
266
29
South Carolina
85.3
38
263
36
South Dakota
93.0
5
271
20
Tennessee
86.8
34
260
40
Texas
81.0
47
254
48
Utah
90.6
20
274
8
Vermont
93.4
4
277
3
Virginia
88.0
28
270
23
Washington
90.2
21
275
7
West Virginia
86.6
35
260
41
Wisconsin
92.7
7
273
12
Wyoming
91.1
17
272
15
Average
88
25.5
264
26
Literacy Rate By Country
If you're looking for a chart to show you the countries with the highest literacy rates, look below:
Country
Literacy Rate
Andorra
100.0 %
Finland
100.0 %
Holy See
100.0 %
Liechtenstein
100.0 %
Luxembourg
100.0 %
Norway
100.0 %
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
100.0 %
Latvia
100.0 %
Estonia
100.0 %
Lithuania
100.0 %
Azerbaijan
100.0 %
Poland
100.0 %
Cuba
100.0 %
Tajikistan
100.0 %
Georgia
100.0 %
Armenia
100.0 %
Ukraine
100.0 %
Kazakhstan
100.0 %
Slovenia
100.0 %
Barbados
100.0 %
Russian Federation
100.0 %
Turkmenistan
100.0 %
Belarus
100.0 %
Slovakia
100.0 %
Palau
100.0 %
Uzbekistan
100.0 %
Tonga
99.0 %
Kyrgyzstan
99.0 %
Republic of Moldova
99.0 %
Croatia
99.0 %
Italy
99.0 %
Hungary
99.0 %
Australia
99.0 %
Belgium
99.0 %
Canada
99.0 %
Czech Republic
99.0 %
Denmark
99.0 %
France
99.0 %
Germany
99.0 %
Iceland
99.0 %
Ireland
99.0 %
Japan
99.0 %
Monaco
99.0 %
Netherlands
99.0 %
New Zealand
99.0 %
Sweden
99.0 %
Switzerland
99.0 %
Tuvalu
99.0 %
United Kingdom
99.0 %
Samoa
99.0 %
Antigua and Barbuda
99.0 %
Trinidad and Tobago
99.0 %
Micronesia (Federated States of)
99.0 %
Cyprus
99.0 %
Romania
99.0 %
Montenegro
98.0 %
Maldives
98.0 %
Bulgaria
98.0 %
Marshall Islands
98.0 %
Bosnia and Herzegovina
98.0 %
Mongolia
98.0 %
Uruguay
98.0 %
Austria
98.0 %
Argentina
98.0 %
Serbia
98.0 %
Republic of Korea
98.0 %
Grenada
98.0 %
Israel
98.0 %
Spain
98.0 %
The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
98.0 %
Greece
97.0 %
Costa Rica
97.0 %
Saint Kitts and Nevis
97.0 %
Albania
97.0 %
Chile
97.0 %
Thailand
96.0 %
Qatar
96.0 %
Brunei Darussalam
96.0 %
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
96.0 %
San Marino
96.0 %
Singapore
96.0 %
Kuwait
96.0 %
Bahamas
96.0 %
Philippines
95.0 %
Nauru
95.0 %
China
95.0 %
Cook Islands
95.0 %
State of Palestine
95.0 %
Equatorial Guinea
95.0 %
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
95.0 %
Suriname
95.0 %
Bahrain
95.0 %
Portugal
94.0 %
Saudi Arabia
94.0 %
Panama
94.0 %
Seychelles
94.0 %
Paraguay
94.0 %
Peru
94.0 %
Fiji
94.0 %
Viet Nam
94.0 %
Colombia
93.0 %
Malta
93.0 %
Malaysia
93.0 %
Mexico
93.0 %
South Africa
93.0 %
Indonesia
93.0 %
Myanmar
93.0 %
Turkey
93.0 %
Jordan
93.0 %
Bolivia (Plurinational State of)
92.0 %
Ecuador
92.0 %
Dominica
92.0 %
Sri Lanka
91.0 %
Brazil
90.0 %
Libya
90.0 %
United Arab Emirates
90.0 %
Lebanon
90.0 %
Dominican Republic
90.0 %
Saint Lucia
90.0 %
Mauritius
89.0 %
Jamaica
88.0 %
Botswana
87.0 %
Burundi
87.0 %
Oman
87.0 %
United States
86.0 %
Syrian Arab Republic
86.0 %
Cabo Verde
85.0 %
Guyana
85.0 %
Honduras
85.0 %
El Salvador
84.0 %
Vanuatu
84.0 %
Iran (Islamic Republic of)
84.0 %
Zimbabwe
84.0 %
Swaziland
83.0 %
Belize
83.0 %
Gabon
82.0 %
Congo
79.0 %
Iraq
79.0 %
Tunisia
79.0 %
Guatemala
78.0 %
Nicaragua
78.0 %
Solomon Islands
77.0 %
Comoros
77.0 %
Namibia
76.0 %
Lesotho
76.0 %
Democratic Republic of the Congo
75.0 %
Sudan
74.0 %
Cambodia
74.0 %
Uganda
73.0 %
Lao People's Democratic Republic
73.0 %
Algeria
73.0 %
Kenya
72.0 %
Egypt
72.0 %
Eritrea
72.0 %
Ghana
71.0 %
Cameroon
71.0 %
Angola
71.0 %
Sao Tome and Principe
70.0 %
India
69.0 %
United Republic of Tanzania
68.0 %
Yemen
68.0 %
Morocco
67.0 %
Rwanda
66.0 %
Madagascar
64.0 %
Papua New Guinea
63.0 %
Zambia
61.0 %
Malawi
61.0 %
Togo
60.0 %
Bangladesh
60.0 %
Nepal
60.0 %
Timor-Leste
58.0 %
Guinea-Bissau
58.0 %
Pakistan
55.0 %
Gambia
53.0 %
Bhutan
53.0 %
Senegal
52.0 %
Nigeria
51.0 %
Mozambique
51.0 %
Haiti
49.0 %
Sierra Leone
46.0 %
Mauritania
46.0 %
Liberia
43.0 %
Côte d'Ivoire
41.0 %
Somalia
39.0 %
Ethiopia
39.0 %
Chad
38.0 %
Central African Republic
37.0 %
Afghanistan
32.0 %
Mali
31.0 %
Burkina Faso
29.0 %
Benin
29.0 %
South Sudan
27.0 %
Guinea
25.0 %
Niger
15.0 %
Djibouti
NA
Kiribati
NA
Niue
NA
A literacy rate that stays close to 100% is seen in quite a few other countries of the world, including Azerbaijan and Cuba.
86% of the world's population that's 15 years old and above is literate.
Of all the nations of the world, over 95% of them have citizens with literary skills that are rudimentary, a near-contemporary achievement.
Countries with a literacy rate below 30% include Niger, Burkina Faso, and South Sudan.
North Korea has one of the highest rates of literacy in the world, near or at 100% of the total population with proficiency in reading.
In 2018, Uzbekistan recorded a literacy rate of 99.99% of the population with reading skills.
99.97% of the Ukrainian population could read, according to estimates made in 2012.
In San Marino, 99.92% of the population could read, based on a 2018 estimate.
Latvia recorded a 99.89% literacy rate in 2018, placing it in the top 10 countries with the best reading proficiencies in the world.
In 2016, Chad was the least literate country in the world, with just 22.31% of the population knowing how to read.
In 2014, Guinea had a 32% literacy rate, one of the world's lowest.
Mali showed a literacy rate of 35.47% in 2018.
Afghanistan had a literacy rate of 43.02% in 2018, though significantly better than in years past.
Central African Republic has a literacy rate of 37.40% placing it in the top ten lowest in the world.
Literacy Rate By State
List of literacy rates by state:
New Hampshire – 88.50%
Alaska – 87.30%
Vermont – 87.20%
Minnesota – 86.90%
Montana – 86.90%
Maine – 86.60%
North Dakota – 86.60%
Wyoming – 86.40%
Utah – 85.50%
Iowa – 85.10%
South Dakota – 85.10%
Wisconsin – 84.70%
Hawaii – 84.10%
Washington – 83.90%
Idaho – 83.60%
Nebraska – 83.60%
Colorado – 83.40%
Oregon – 83.20%
Kansas – 83.10%
Connecticut – 82.80%
Massachusetts – 82.70%
Michigan – 82.40%
Ohio – 82.30%
Pennsylvania – 81.90%
Indiana – 81.30%
Virginia – 81.20%
Missouri – 81.10%
Maryland – 80%
Oklahoma – 79.90%
Delaware – 79.70%
Illinois – 79.60%
Rhode Island – 79.60%
New Jersey – 79.30%
West Virginia – 79.10%
North Carolina – 78.70%
Tennessee – 78.30%
Kentucky – 78.10%
District of Columbia – 77.70%
South Carolina – 77.60%
Arkansas – 76.90%
Arizona – 76.60%
Georgia – 76.40%
Florida – 76.30%
Alabama – 76.10%
New York – 75.60%
Nevada – 74.70%
Louisiana – 72.90%
Mississippi – 72%
Texas – 71.80%
California – 71.60%
New Mexico – 70.90%
Literacy Statistics By State
New Hampshire has 5.8 of adults that lack basic proficiency in reading, placing the state ahead of the rest with a 94.2% literacy rate.
36.6% of adults living in New Hampshire possess a graduate-level degree or higher, which is the 7th highest rate in the nation.
60.8% of New Hampshire residents are registered at a local library.
Minnesota has a literacy rate of 94%, the nation's second highest.
6% of adults in Minnesota lack basic skills for reading and writing, though 69.9% of all state residents are registered users at a library.
North Dakota has a literacy rate of 93.7% making it the nation's 3rd highest.
California has the lowest literacy rate in America, with 23.1% of adults having inadequate reading proficiency.
The state of New York has the second lowest literacy rate, with 22.1% of the population having poor reading abilities. Still, New York has 35.7% of adults with a Bachelor's degree, the country's 9th highest.
19.7% of Florida's adult population have low reading skills, the third lowest rate of literacy rate in the nation.
According to researchers, 4 out of 5 Americans 18 and over possess medium to high proficiency in English reading and writing.
1 out of 5 American adults, or 21%, possess low literacy skills, comprising about 43 million people.
Literacy Rate By Gender
Since 2020, 90% of men and 83% of women in the world are literate.
In 2019, 90.07% of the world's male population was literate, while 83.02% of women were.
In 2017, men that could read and write accounted for 89.% of the population, with women making up 82.64% with reading abilities.
Literacy Rate By Age
Globally, 86.3% is the literacy rate for people 15 years of age and older.
Literacy Rate By Race
About 77% of the African American population has moderate to high reading and writing proficiency in the United States.
66% of the Hispanic population has medium to high literacy in America, with 65% of whites having moderate to high literacy.