Saudi Arabia vs Thailand: Adult literacy
Adult literacy: 97.9% in Saudi Arabia in 2024 and 91.1% in Thailand in 2022, by UNESCO estimates. In 2013 the value was higher in Saudi Arabia, by 0.7 percentage points, or 1.01 times that in Thailand.
Saudi ArabiaThailand
Watch it change on the map% of adults · UNESCO
Latest figures
% of adults · UNESCO
| Country | Latest | 10 years before |
|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | 97.9 2024 | — |
| Thailand | 91.1 2022 | — |
| World | 87.7 2024 | 85.6 |
What the numbers say
- Saudi Arabia has been higher since 2013, when it overtook Thailand.
- The world as a whole: 85.2% in 2013.
Every year
% of adults · UNESCO
| Year | Saudi Arabia | Thailand | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 97.9 | – | 87.7 |
| 2023 | – | – | 87.6 |
| 2022 | – | 91.1 | 87.4 |
| 2021 | – | – | 87.2 |
| 2020 | 97.6 | – | 87 |
| 2019 | – | 91.3 | 86.8 |
| 2018 | – | 93.8 | 86.8 |
| 2017 | 95.3 | – | 86.5 |
| 2016 | – | 92 | 86.3 |
| 2015 | – | 92.9 | 86 |
| 2014 | – | – | 85.6 |
| 2013 | 94.4 | 93.7 | 85.2 |
| 2012 | – | – | 84.9 |
| 2011 | – | – | 84.7 |
| 2010 | – | 96.4 | 84.4 |
| 2009 | – | – | 83.8 |
| 2008 | – | – | 83.5 |
| 2007 | – | – | 83.1 |
| 2006 | – | – | 82.5 |
| 2005 | – | 93.5 | 82.6 |
| 2004 | 82.9 | – | 82.6 |
| 2003 | – | – | 82.2 |
| 2002 | – | – | 81.7 |
| 2001 | – | – | 81.4 |
| 2000 | 79.4 | 92.7 | 81.1 |
| 1999 | – | – | 80.9 |
| 1998 | – | – | 80.5 |
| 1997 | – | – | 79.3 |
| 1996 | – | – | 77.3 |
| 1995 | – | – | 76.9 |
| 1994 | – | – | 76.4 |
| 1993 | – | – | 76 |
| 1992 | 70.8 | – | 75.5 |
| 1991 | – | – | 75.1 |
| 1990 | – | – | 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 | – | 88 | 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