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.
MexicoSouth Korea
Watch it change on the mapChange since 2008, percentage points · UNESCO
Latest figures
% of adults · UNESCO
| Country | Latest | 10 years before |
|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 95.6 2024 | 94.6 |
| South Korea | 98 2008 | — |
| World | 87.7 2024 | 85.6 |
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