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 - 5/19/2013 12:25:51 PM
If a woman’s culture dictates that she should always put her family’s financial needs ahead of her own, can she learn to set aside money for her own retirement without feeling guilty? These are just some of the complex issues raised at the ...
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.
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 ...
Literacy in the Middle East and North Africa
Council on Foreign Relations - 5/6/2013 5:56:14 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 graph shows ...
America’s women face unique financial literacy needs
FOX News - 5/18/2013 2:04:16 AM
With the personal finance needs of American women so clearly defined, along with glimmers of a positive foundation on which to build, how do we move forward? The answer is multi-faceted. No one single entity, no matter how powerful, can improve ...
Watertown welcomes new citizens at naturalization ceremony
Abington Mariner - 5/15/2013 12:13:17 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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
Sector estimated at $44.9b in GCC
Arab Times - 5/18/2013 3:58:48 AM
Adult literacy rates in the MENA region average a little more than 80 percent compared to the average of 97 percent in developed countries. Literacy rates in the MENA countries-although low according to world standards-have improved ...
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 Framework is intended to serve as a basis for intensive consultation ... to develop dual literacy skills where learners can move freely between the Maltese and English languages, learners need to be given specific learning opportunities that will ...
Korea Ranked 11th in WEF's Networked Readiness Index
koreaittimes.com - 5/20/2013 5:58:07 AM
SEOUL, KOREA - Korea's information technology ranking for this year was evaluated at 11th in the world. According to the Global Information Technology Report 2013 published by the World Economic Forum on May 19, Korea's Networked Readiness Index (NRI ...
