Kuwait hits a nearly 100% literacy rate

KUWAIT CITY, Sept 9: On Tuesday, the world marked the 60th anniversary of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declaring September 8 as International Literacy Day in 1966, reports Al-Seyassah daily. Kuwait joined the world in commemorating this day under the theme “Literacy for People, Planet, and Prosperity.” This year’s celebrations include assessing global progress towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and honoring the winners of UNESCO’s international literacy prizes, which recognize innovative programs in this field.

In Kuwait, the day comes amid a number of significant achievements aimed at promoting education for all segments of society through tireless efforts to minimize illiteracy rates and the opening of several specialized adult education centers. According to UNESCO data for 2024, Kuwait has achieved near-complete female literacy, along with an increase in women’s enrollment in higher education, particularly in scientific disciplines. The illiteracy rate among women was approximately 2 percent, compared with 0.14 percent among men.

Since its early development, Kuwait has placed great emphasis on education and facilitated access to education for adults. Since 1957, the Ministry of Education has established literacy and adult education centers throughout Kuwait. Since the early 1960s, Kuwait has enacted laws regulating the education process, including Law No. 11/1965 concerning compulsory education. Article 1 of the law stipulates that “Education shall be compulsory and free for all Kuwaiti children, male and female, from the beginning of the primary stage until the preparatory stage. The State shall be committed to providing school buildings, books, teachers, and all that is necessary to ensure the success of compulsory education, in terms of both human resources and materials.”

The education sector at all levels has received a significant portion of the state budget. Kuwait’s spending on education is among the highest in the world. Kuwait’s efforts to eradicate illiteracy have gone through three phases. The first phase started in 1950 and continued until 1957. The second phase lasted from 1957 to 1981. The third phase saw the issuance of the Literacy Law in 1981, which included 23 articles aimed at eliminating illiteracy. Kuwait is making rapid progress in the field of literacy through its development vision, “New Kuwait 2035.” In 2025, Kuwait continued its efforts in education and literacy.

Recent data showed a continued rise in literacy rates among members of society, along with the government’s continued allocation of a high percentage of its general budget to the education sector. Efforts to develop education are no longer limited to combating illiteracy and providing adult education, but have expanded to include the use of technology and artificial intelligence and the development of the learning environment. On February 11, 2026, the Ministry of Education launched a project to implement artificial intelligence tools in cooperation with Google to serve the educational process according to the latest international standards. On May 4, the Ministry of Education approved in-person school hours for adult education and literacy centers, refl ecting the ministry’s continued commitment to literacy and adult education programs.