Ranked: The 8 least educated countries in the world - and three most educated

Education remains one of the strongest indicators of a country’s development, influencing economic growth, health outcomes, innovation and social mobility.

While global literacy has risen to about 87.7%, significant disparities remain, with several countries still recording literacy rates below 50% due to conflict, poverty, inequality and weak education systems.

At the other end are nations that have invested heavily in education, producing some of the world’s most educated populations.

Least educated countries

1. ChadWith an adult literacy rate of about 30.6%, Chad ranks as the world’s least educated country, weighed down by poverty, conflict and one of the lowest female literacy rates globally.