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UNESCO presented its International Literacy Prizes 2026 to six programmes from Colombia, Lebanon, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nigeria and Thailand.
The awards were given at the International Literacy Day global celebration held on 8-9 September 2026 in the State of Chiapas, Mexico - the 60th International Literacy Day.
Three laureates won the UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize (supported by the Republic of Korea) and three the UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy (supported by China); each receives US$30,000, a medal and a diploma.
The 2026 theme was "Literacy for people, the planet and prosperity".
No Indian programme was among the 2026 laureates.
| Feature | UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize | UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy |
|---|---|---|
| Supported by | Government of the Republic of Korea | Government of the People's Republic of China |
| Supported since | 1989 | 2005 |
| Focus | Mother-tongue and multilingual literacy | Functional literacy for rural populations and out-of-school youth, especially through technology |
| Awards each year | 3 | 3 |
| Each laureate gets | US$30,000, medal, diploma | US$30,000, medal, diploma |
| 2026 winners | Colombia, Netherlands, Nigeria | Lebanon, Mexico, Thailand |
Awards the International Literacy Prizes and leads the global observance of International Literacy Day
Chiapas is Mexico's southernmost state, bordering Guatemala, with a large Indigenous population - which is why its programme stresses bilingual teaching. Hat Yai, home of the Thai laureate, is in southern Thailand's Songkhla province near the Malaysian border, hence its Malay-language strand.
General Awareness > Awards and Honours
GS Paper 2 > International institutions (UNESCO); Education
Reading, writing and numeracy good enough to manage daily life and work
Teaching reading and writing first in the learner's home language
8 September, proclaimed by UNESCO in 1966; 2026 was the 60th