Trinidad and Tobago Literacy Rate
Adult literacy rate SE.ADT.LITR.ZS
Trinidad and Tobago's literacy rate was 96.94% in 1990, ranked 2nd globally. This represents a 2.1% increase from 1989. Data from World Bank, covering 1980–1990.
Overview
Trinidad and Tobago's literacy rate stood at 96.94% in 1990, a rise of +1.97pp from 1980. Trinidad and Tobago ranked 2nd globally.
Trinidad and Tobago’s adult literacy rate rose from 94.97 % in 1980 to 96.94 % in 1990, marking both the all‑time trough and the all‑time peak within the two‑year coverage window and securing the nation the second‑highest position globally in 1990. This improvement of 1.97 percentage points reflects sustained investment in primary and secondary education during the 1980s, a period when many Caribbean neighbours were still below 95 %. By contrast, Guam recorded a higher rate of 99.37 % in the same era, underscoring the modest gap that remains despite Trinidad and Tobago’s strong performance relative to the Maldives (96.02 %) and the Philippines (93.57 %). The upward trajectory suggests that continued policy focus on early childhood literacy and adult learning programs could maintain or even extend the current high level, provided that economic resources and institutional capacity are preserved.
Data & projection
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Trinidad and Tobago matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 2014. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw literacy rate improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Trinidad and Tobago's literacy rate was 96.94% in 1990. Ranked 2nd globally. This represents a 2.1% increase from the previous year.
Trinidad and Tobago's literacy rate peaked at 96.94% in 1990.
The lowest literacy rate in Trinidad and Tobago was 94.97% in 1980.
Trinidad and Tobago ranks 2nd globally in literacy rate as of 1990.
The World Bank indicator code is SE.ADT.LITR.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
The literacy rate of Trinidad and Tobago in 1990 was 96.94%. This ranks 2nd in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_trinidad-and-tobago_literacy-rate,
title = {Trinidad and Tobago Literacy Rate},
url = {https://historysaid.com/trinidad-and-tobago/literacy-rate/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}