Literacy Rate: Maldives

Analysis# Maldives Literacy Rate Maldives achieved a literacy rate of 98.21% in 2019, reflecting one of the highest educational attainment levels globally. This figure sits just below the nation's all-time peak of 98.61% recorded in 2014, and represents a dramatic 19.3 percentage point increase from 82.3% in 1977. Over four decades, Maldives transformed from a developing education system into one approaching near-universal literacy. The most significant gains occurred between 1977 and 2006, when literacy jumped from 82.3% to 98.4%—a 16.1 percentage point surge in three decades. After reaching 98.61% in 2014, rates showed minor fluctuations, including a notable dip to 94.51% in 2017 before rebounding to 98.21% by 2019. With literacy consistently above 94% since 2000, Maldives maintains momentum toward sustaining its position among the world's most literate nations.