Mexico vs South Korea: Adult literacy

Adult literacy: 95.6% in Mexico in 2024 and 98% in South Korea in 2008, by UNESCO estimates. In 2008 the value was higher in South Korea, by 5 percentage points, or 1.05 times that in Mexico.

Watch it change on the map

% of adults · UNESCO

MexicoSouth KoreaWorld

What the numbers say

South Korea has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2008.
The world as a whole: 83.5% in 2008.

Every year

% of adults · UNESCO

Year	Mexico	South Korea	World
2024	95.6	–	87.7
2023	95.8	–	87.6
2022	95.1	–	87.4
2021	95.7	–	87.2
2020	95.3	–	87
2019	95.4	–	86.8
2018	95.4	–	86.8
2017	95	–	86.5
2016	94.9	–	86.3
2015	94.5	–	86
2014	94.6	–	85.6
2013	94	–	85.2
2012	94.2	–	84.9
2011	93.5	–	84.7
2010	93.1	–	84.4
2009	93.4	–	83.8
2008	92.9	98	83.5
2007	92.8	–	83.1
2006	91.7	–	82.5
2005	91.6	–	82.6
2004	91	–	82.6
2003	–	–	82.2
2002	90.3	–	81.7
2001	–	–	81.4
2000	90.5	–	81.1
1999	–	–	80.9
1998	–	–	80.5
1997	–	–	79.3
1996	–	–	77.3
1995	–	–	76.9
1994	–	–	76.4
1993	–	–	76
1992	–	–	75.5
1991	–	–	75.1
1990	87.6	–	74.6
1989	–	–	74.1
1988	–	–	73.6
1987	–	–	71.9
1986	–	–	71.3
1985	–	–	70.7
1984	–	–	70.2
1983	–	–	69.5
1982	–	–	68.9
1981	–	–	68.4
1980	83	–	67.8
1979	–	–	67.2
1978	–	–	66.5
1977	–	–	65.9
1976	–	–	65.6
1975	–	–	65.4

Each country on its own

Good to know

The share of people aged 15 and over who can read and write a short, simple statement about their everyday life.
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics, via the World Bank.
The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time

Mexico vs South Korea: Adult literacy

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

Good to know

Mexico vs South Korea

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Military

Climate

Technology and environment