Italy Literacy Rate
Adult literacy rate SE.ADT.LITR.ZS
Italy's literacy rate was 99.35% in 2019, ranked 6th globally. This represents a 0.5% increase from 2018. Data from World Bank, covering 1981–2019.
Overview
Italy's literacy rate stood at 99.35% in 2019, a rise of +0.50pp from 2011. Italy ranked 6th globally.
Italy’s literacy rate has risen steadily from 96.46 % in 1981 to a peak of 99.35 % in 2019, placing the country sixth worldwide according to the World Bank. The four‑year coverage of the data series captures the final phase of a long‑term improvement that began in the post‑war expansion of compulsory schooling and accelerated during the 1990s reforms aimed at modernising the education system. By 2019 the rate matched the level recorded in Serbia (99.48 %) and approached that of Azerbaijan (99.80 %), underscoring Italy’s position among the most literate OECD members. The modest gain of 2.89 percentage points over nearly four decades reflects both the near‑universal access to primary education and the diminishing returns as the population approaches full literacy. Future changes in the trajectory will depend on how demographic ageing, migration flows and digital‑skill initiatives influence enrolment and lifelong‑learning outcomes, potentially nudging the rate marginally higher or stabilising it near the current ceiling.
Data & projection
| Year | Literacy Rate | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 99.35% | +0.50pp | #6 |
| 2011 | 98.85% | +0.43pp | #8 |
| 2001 | 98.42% | +1.96pp | #6 |
| 1981 | 96.46% | – | #2 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Italy matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 1986. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw literacy rate improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Italy's literacy rate was 99.35% in 2019. Ranked 6th globally. This represents a 0.5% increase from the previous year.
Italy's literacy rate peaked at 99.35% in 2019.
The lowest literacy rate in Italy was 96.46% in 1981.
Italy ranks 6th globally in literacy rate as of 2019.
The World Bank indicator code is SE.ADT.LITR.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
The literacy rate of Italy in 2019 was 99.35%. This ranks 6th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_italy_literacy-rate,
title = {Italy Literacy Rate},
url = {https://historysaid.com/italy/literacy-rate/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}