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, 2020
See also: Literacy mapRelated News
The world's most gender-equal countries
BBC - 9/28/2023 9:54:00 AM
BBC Travel talks to residents in four of the best-rated nations to find out what it's really like to live there.
International Literacy Day 2023: Check Literacy Rate by Country-wise
jagranjosh.com - 9/8/2023 11:36:00 AM
The theme for 2023 is "Promoting literacy for a world in transition: Building the foundation for sustainable and peaceful societies." Literacy is not just about reading and writing. It is about ...
India's population has surpassed China's, but its labor force is still lagging by a large margin
CNBC on MSN.com - 9/29/2023 1:24:13 AM
India may be the most populous country in the world, but its labor force continues to lag behind China's, according to Oxford Economics.
World Literacy Day 2023: Date, History, Significance
Mena FN - 9/14/2023 9:59:00 AM
Asia, the world's largest and most populcontinent, encompasses diverse cultures, languages, and socio-economic conditions. The state of literacy in Asia varies widely among its countries.
Use International Literacy Day to reflect on child education and learning outcomes
Ghana News Agency (GNA) on MSN.com - 9/8/2023 7:21:13 PM
Miss Laura Cristina DelValle, National Director of World Vision Ghana, has called on stakeholders in the education space to use the celebration of the International Literacy Day to reflect on child education and learning outcomes.
Literacy in a Digital World
UNESCO - 11/30/2021 8:09:00 AM
The digital revolution is changing our world faster than ever and unleashing new opportunities. Basic services are being transformed into e-services and learning is increasingly happening online. But without literacy, the opportunities of the digital world ...
World Literacy Day should be at the fore in September
Independent Online - 9/1/2023 12:00:00 AM
Acknowledging World Literacy Day is to inform us of the challenges an illiterate society has within a developing country and to emphasise the value of every person being literate. High illiteracy ...
World Vision celebrates World Literacy Day with its partners
business on MSN.com - 9/27/2023 2:11:27 PM
World Vision, in collaboration with Worldreader, Accra World Book Capital and the Complementary Education Agency (CEA),has organised an event to commemorate International Literacy Day. The event, which took place in Accra,
Statement by the Prime Minister on International Literacy Day
Yahoo Finance - 9/8/2023 1:08:00 PM
"In an interconnected world, literacy connects people from every corner of the globe, helping us understand and be understood, no matter our country or culture. Today, on International Literacy ...
Worldreader Honored With Prestigious International Literacy Prize By The Library Of Congress
Mena FN - 9/12/2023 10:14:00 AM
International nonprofit Worldreader, which supports readers in over 100 countries ... this prestigiaward from one of the world's leading cultural and literacy organizations,” said Rebecca ...
