Thailand’s literacy rate stands at 94.1%, review finds
Thailand has been ranked seventh among Southeast Asian countries on the literacy rate—the ability to read and write—by the World Population Review website this year.
The ranking was conducted among 184 countries worldwide. However, the comparison was inexact as many countries do not report their literacy every year, and many countries have mismatched definitions as to what qualifies as literacy.
Brunei topped Southeast Asian countries with the highest literacy rate of 97.6% (data as of 2021), followed by Singapore (97.5% as of 2020), the Philippines (96.3% as of 2019), Indonesia (96% as of 2020) and Vietnam (95.8% as of 2022).
Malaysia came in sixth with 95% as of 2019, followed by Thailand (94.1% as of 2021), Myanmar (89.1% as of 2019), Laos (88% as of 2022), Cambodia (84% as of 2022) and Timor-Leste (68.1% as of 2020).
Ukraine topped countries with the highest literacy rate, followed by Uzbekistan and North Korea. The top three countries have a literacy rate of 100% as of 2021, 2022 and 2015 respectively.
Chad was named the country with the lowest literacy rate of 27% as of 2022, followed by Mali (31% as of 2020) and South Sudan (34.5% as of 2018).
According to the World Population Review, literacy is the most important factor in determining a person's career.
“For those who can read and write, the range of possible vocations is vast and even highly skilled, high-paying careers are within reach,” it explained.
“For those who cannot, the options are extremely limited—even unskilled minimum-wage jobs can be difficult to obtain.”
Though the global literacy rate was high, the website pointed out that massive country-to-country differences exist.
Developed nations almost always have an adult literacy rate of 96% or better. In contrast, the least developed nations manage an average literacy rate of only 65%, it said.
The website noted that poverty and illiteracy tend to go hand-in-hand, as most of the countries with the lowest literacy are located in South Asia, West Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa – regions that are home to most of the poorest countries in the world.
“There is also a gender gap in literacy,” the website said, “Of the roughly 781 million adults worldwide who cannot read or write, nearly two-thirds are female.”
It added that this disparity is particularly noticeable in less-developed countries, in which women are often expected to stay at home and care for the house and children while the men go off to work.
