Definition: This entry includes a definition of literacy and Census Bureau percentages for the total population, males, and females. There are no universal definitions and standards of literacy. Unless otherwise specified, all rates are based on the most common definition - the ability to read and write at a specified age. Detailing the standards that individual countries use to assess the ability to read and write is beyond the scope of the Factbook. Information on literacy, while not a perfect measure of educational results, is probably the most easily available and valid for international comparisons. Low levels of literacy, and education in general, can impede the economic development of a country in the current rapidly changing, technology-driven world.
Source: CIA World Factbook - Unless otherwise noted, information in this page is accurate as of January 1, 2012
See also: Literacy mapRelated News
Improving women's financial literacy, worldwide
Minuteman News Center - 5/17/2013 10:12:13 AM
On the question of whether financial literacy hinges on access to traditional bank ... among the biggest financial hurdles an overwhelming number of women in her country face is their status as single mothers – around 56 percent.
Lions Clubs International Multiple District 301 Philippines: Leading the way to literacy in a World of service
Yahoo! - 5/18/2013 7:29:22 PM
Founded in 1917 by businessman Melvin Jones of Chicago, Illinois, United States of America, Lions Clubs International is considered the world's largest service club organization with a membership of 1.35 million Lions in 207 countries and geographic areas.
America’s women face unique financial literacy needs
FOX News - 5/18/2013 2:04:16 AM
For years, those of us who toil in the field of improving financial literacy in the U.S. have assumed that women face economic hurdles that men never see. Now we have the data to prove it. Most troubling, American women are far less likely than ...
Literacy in the Middle East and North Africa
Council on Foreign Relations - 5/6/2013 6:03:23 PM
As the 2002 Arab Human Development Report noted, adult literacy in the Arab world is shamefully low–and lower than the average in developing countries. However, countries are making efforts to tackle their literacy challenges. The above ...
Tripura to emerge as fully literate state by September
articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com - 4/12/2013 3:47:12 PM
AGARTALA: Tripura will emerge as a total literate state in the country before World Literacy Day on September 8, a minister said today. A meeting of the State Literacy Mission Authority presided by Chief Minister Manik Sarkar reviewed the status ...
Watertown welcomes new citizens at naturalization ceremony
Abington Mariner - 5/15/2013 1:17:43 AM
Another Project Literacy student, Hamlet Karapetyan, then led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance. This was followed by a video from President Obama, in which he congratulated and welcomed the new citizens to America, a country “which has always been ...
The Cost of Democracy: Third World Africa
News24 - 5/6/2013 9:06:31 AM
Education costs money. We shall not dwell too much on education as we’ve seen in some third world African countries, high literacy rates do not always translate into peaceful and successful elections and a sound democracy. Libya records an impressive 82 ...
Americans: The world’s sleepiest students
Washington Post - 5/17/2013 3:24:11 AM
science and literacy. The BBC quoted Chad Minnich of the center as saying: I think we underestimate the impact of sleep. Our data show that across countries internationally, on average, children who have more sleep achieve higher in maths ...
Personal finance: Improving women’s financial literacy, worldwide
Hazard Herald - 5/14/2013 6:26:42 AM
Fascinating details revealed include: Richard Cordray, Director of the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, noted that “a large majority of K-12 teachers say that personal finance should be taught in school, yet less than a third say they’ve ...
Solar Lamp Countries And The Developing World
EarthTechling - 5/6/2013 8:05:05 PM
and contribute to important development goals like energy access and improved literacy rates. Small solar portable lamp companies are learning how to navigate the relatively unstructured business environments of developing countries, but a lack of consumer ...
Education Sector estimated at $44.9b in GCC
MENAFN - 5/19/2013 5:30:40 AM
approximately 3.9mln children would enter the education system every year in the region. In addition, there is significant scope for growth at the secondary and tertiary levels of education. Adult literacy rates in the MENA region average a little more ...
Women's financial literacy
Deming Headlight - 5/15/2013 6:47:00 AM
Are the 70 percent of the developing world's adult population with no formal bank account doomed to a life of economic uncertainty and financial illiteracy? If a woman's culture dictates that she should always put her family's financial needs ahead of her ...
New Study Reveals Workers Around the World are Unprepared for Retirement
eon.businesswire.com - 5/14/2013 3:42:04 AM
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--New research from nonprofit foundation Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies® in collaboration with Aegon shows a lack of retirement preparedness among workers in the U.S. and around the world. The Changing Face of ...
Rwanda: Gakenke Moves Towards 'zero Illiteracy'
AllAfrica - 5/17/2013 7:13:15 AM
The adult literacy programme seeks to minimise illiteracy as the country moves toward a population that can read and write. Mayor Deograthias Nzamwita said the district's goal is to eradicate illiteracy by the end of next year. "We had more than 18,000 ...
National Literacy Strategy launched for All Framework
gozonews.com - 5/18/2013 4:51:53 PM
The Minister for Education and Employment, Evarist Bartolo, has launched a National Literacy Strategy for All Framework this morning. The Framework is intended to serve as a basis for intensive consultation with stakeholders, on the basis of which, a ...
