Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Chile

Chile: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes was 97.2% in 2017. ▲ Rising

Latest (2017)
97.2%
Change on year
down 0.6%
World rank
26th
of 83 countries
All-time high
98.6%
in 2008
All-time low
90.5%
in 1982
Years of data
10
1982–2017

Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Chile, 1982–2017

0204060801001982199920171982: 90.5 %1992: 94.5 %2002: 96.3 %2008: 98.6 %2009: 98.5 %2010: 97.9 %2011: 97.4 %2013: 97.1 %2015: 97.8 %2017: 97.2 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

Chile recorded 97.2% for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in 2017.

The figure is down 0.6% on the previous year and down 1.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Chile peaked at 98.6% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 90.5%, in 1982.

Chile ranks 26th of 83 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 10 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 90.5% 90.5% 90.5% 1
1990s 94.5% 94.5% 94.5% 1
2000s 97.8% 96.3% 98.6% 3
2010s 97.5% 97.1% 97.9% 5

Countries ranked near Chile

  1. 23 Türkiye, Republic of 97.6% compare
  2. 24 Palestine 97.5% compare
  3. 25 Seychelles 97.4% compare
  4. 27 Indonesia 96.8% compare
  5. 28 Malaysia 96.6% compare
  6. 29 Mexico 96.5% compare

See the full ranking of 122 places →

More reference data data for Chile

All data for Chile →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Chile?
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Chile was 97.2% in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in Chile?
The highest recorded value was 98.6% in 2008.
What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in Chile?
The lowest recorded value was 90.5% in 1982.
How does Chile rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes?
Chile ranks 26th out of 83 countries with data for 2017.
Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes rising or falling in Chile?
Over the last ten years it is down 1.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Chile data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Chile. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 18 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-population-25-64-years-both-sexes-percent/chile/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
122 places, 2,220 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Percentage of the population between age 25 and age 64 who can, with understanding, read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life. Generally, ‘literacy’ also encompasses ‘numeracy’, the ability to make simple arithmetic calculations. This indicator is calculated by dividing the number of literates aged 25-64 years by the corresponding age group population and multiplying the result by 100.