Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male was 97.6% in 2017. ▲ Rising

Latest (2017)
97.6%
World rank
25th
of 83 countries
All-time high
97.6%
in 2017
All-time low
78.3%
in 1992
Years of data
5
1992–2017

Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Saudi Arabia, 1992–2017

0204060801001992200420171992: 78.3 %2000: 86.9 %2004: 86.8 %2013: 97.2 %2017: 97.6 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

Saudi Arabia recorded 97.6% for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in 2017. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 12.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Saudi Arabia peaked at 97.6% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 78.3%, in 1992.

Saudi Arabia ranks 25th of 83 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Saudi Arabia, year by year

Annual values for Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male (%) in Saudi Arabia, 1992 to 2017.
Year % Change
1992 78.3%
2000 86.9% +11.0%
2004 86.8% -0.1%
2013 97.2% +12.0%
2017 97.6% +0.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 78.3% 78.3% 78.3% 1
2000s 86.9% 86.8% 86.9% 2
2010s 97.4% 97.2% 97.6% 2

Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia

  1. 22 Philippines 98.1% compare
  2. 23 Indonesia 97.9% compare
  3. 24 Maldives 97.6% compare
  4. 26 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 97.4% compare
  5. 27 Oman 97.4% compare
  6. 28 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 97.4% compare

See the full ranking of 122 places →

More reference data data for Saudi Arabia

All data for Saudi Arabia →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Saudi Arabia?
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Saudi Arabia was 97.6% in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male recorded in Saudi Arabia?
The highest recorded value was 97.6% in 2017.
What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male recorded in Saudi Arabia?
The lowest recorded value was 78.3% in 1992.
How does Saudi Arabia rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male?
Saudi Arabia ranks 25th out of 83 countries with data for 2017.
Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
Over the last ten years it is up 12.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Saudi Arabia data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Saudi Arabia. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 23 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-population-25-64-years-male-percent/saudi-arabia/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
122 places, 2,219 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Percentage of the male 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 male literates aged 25-64 years by the corresponding age group population and multiplying the result by 100.