Literacy Rate: Marshall Islands

Analysis# Marshall Islands Literacy Rate The Marshall Islands recorded a literacy rate of 95.763% in 2021, representing a decline from its all-time peak of 98.27% in 2011. Over the past decade, the nation has experienced a 2.6 percentage point decrease, placing current performance near its lowest measured point. Despite this downward movement, the Marshall Islands maintains a literacy rate well above the global average, indicating relatively strong educational achievement across the population. The decline accelerated between 2019 and 2021, when the rate dropped from 98.18% to 95.763%—a sharper contraction than the gradual erosion observed in the preceding eight years. This recent deterioration warrants attention, as the 2019-2021 period suggests emerging challenges in literacy maintenance or measurement. Continued monitoring through 2022 and beyond will clarify whether this represents a temporary disruption or the beginning of a sustained downward trend.