Literacy Rate: Bolivia

Analysis# Bolivia Literacy Rate Bolivia's literacy rate reached 96.73% in 2024, matching its all-time peak and reflecting a dramatic 53-percentage-point improvement since 1976, when just 63.21% of the population could read and write. Over nearly five decades, Bolivia transformed from a country where more than one-third of citizens were illiterate to one approaching near-universal literacy. The steady upward trajectory demonstrates sustained commitment to educational expansion and access across the nation. Acceleration intensified after 2001, when the rate stood at 86.72%. Between 2008 and 2012, literacy jumped from 90.7% to 94.46%, marking the period of fastest growth. Since 2012, the rate has climbed more gradually but consistently, gaining 2.27 percentage points over the past twelve years. With Bolivia now at its historical high, further gains will likely require addressing literacy gaps in remaining disadvantaged populations and remote regions.