Literacy rate, adult female in North America
North America: Literacy rate, adult female was 98.8% in 2022. ▬ Flat
Literacy rate, adult female in North America, 2003–2022
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of females ages 15 and above.
Analysis
North America recorded 98.8% for literacy rate, adult female in 2022. That is the highest value across all 12 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult female in North America peaked at 98.8% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 98.5%, in 2003.
North America ranks 3rd of 39 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
Literacy rate, adult female in North America, year by year
| Year | % of females ages 15 and above | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 98.5% | — |
| 2004 | 98.6% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 98.6% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 98.6% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 98.6% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 98.6% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 98.7% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 98.7% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 98.7% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 98.7% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 98.8% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 98.8% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 98.6% | 98.5% | 98.6% | 6 |
| 2010s | 98.7% | 98.7% | 98.7% | 3 |
| 2020s | 98.8% | 98.7% | 98.8% | 3 |
Countries ranked near North America
More gender data for North America
- Labor force, female 90.56 million (2025)
- Labor force, female, per capita 0.2361 units per person (2025)
- Labor force, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Labor force, female, annual growth rate 0.4331 % change on previous year (2025)
- Labor force, female, per square kilometre 4.96 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24) 83.8% (2025)
- School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, female 16.95 years (2019)
- School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, male 15.76 years (2019)
- Proportion of women in ministerial level positions 43.9% (2025)
- Women of reproductive age 86.08 million (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, adult female in North America?
- Literacy rate, adult female in North America was 98.8% in 2022, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, adult female recorded in North America?
- The highest recorded value was 98.8% in 2021.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, adult female recorded in North America?
- The lowest recorded value was 98.5% in 2003.
- How does North America rank for literacy rate, adult female?
- North America ranks 3rd out of 39 groups with data for 2022.
- Is literacy rate, adult female rising or falling in North America?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this North America data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Literacy rate, adult female (% of females ages 15 and above). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.