North Korea

Adult literacy in North Korea

Adult literacy in North Korea: 100% in 2008 and 100% in 2008, by UNESCO estimates.

Latest, 2008
100%
World, 2008
83.5%

% of adults · UNESCO

Adult literacy in North KoreaAdult literacy in North Korea: 100% in 2008 and 100% in 2008, by UNESCO estimates. The world as a whole: 83.5% in 2008.
Estimates, UNESCOWorld

Every year

% of adults · UNESCO

YearNorth KoreaWorld
2024–87.7
2023–87.6
2022–87.4
2021–87.2
2020–87
2019–86.8
2018–86.8
2017–86.5
2016–86.3
2015–86
2014–85.6
2013–85.2
2012–84.9
2011–84.7
2010–84.4
2009–83.8
200810083.5
2007–83.1
2006–82.5
2005–82.6
2004–82.6
2003–82.2
2002–81.7
2001–81.4
2000–81.1
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
1990–74.6
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
1980–67.8
1979–67.2
1978–66.5
1977–65.9
1976–65.6
1975–65.4

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

North Korea in numbers

Every measure for North Korea on one page

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