Are literacy rates higher in developed or developing countries?

The developed nations of the world have much higher literacy rates with smaller gaps—if any—between the genders. For a full list of the best available information on literacy rates around the world, see the table below.

Do developed countries have high literacy rates?

High rates of literacy are often found in developed of industrialized countries. Most of Europe has a high literacy rate. More industrialized countries are wealthier and can provide education, health care, and technology to its citizens.

Why is literacy rate low in developing countries?

Illiteracy is caused by several factors, including absenteeism, repetition, and dropping out of school. Low school enrollment rates are caused by both in-school factors, such as the availability, quality, and efficiency of schools, and out-of-school factors, such as direct and opportunity costs.

Is the literacy rate in developed countries usually close to 100%?

Most developed countries have achieved a 99% literacy rate. But as this Statista graph shows, strong regional inequalities remain. Mali has one of the lowest literacy rates in the world at 31%, along with South Sudan at 35%.

How do literacy rates relate to development?

A high literacy rate suggests that the education system is effective in equipping individuals with basic skills, which can lead to higher levels of education and specialised skills. This, in turn, can lead to increased economic productivity as a well-educated workforce is more likely to be innovative and efficient.

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Why do countries have high literacy rates?

As we can see, literacy rates tend to be much higher in countries where people tend to have more years of education; and as average years of education go up in a country, literacy rates also go up.

Which country has the highest literacy rate?

What is the least literate country in the world?

What is France's literacy rate?

Education is a priority in France, with 21 percent of the annual national budget earmarked for education. The country boasts a 99 percent literacy rate. France's higher education history is lengthy. The University of Paris, one of the world's oldest universities, was founded in 1215.

Where has the lowest literacy rate?

According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), the country with the lowest adult literacy rate (ages 15 and above) in 2021 is South Sudan, with an estimated literacy rate of 27%. This means that about 73% of adults in South Sudan are not able to read or write at a basic level.

Would a low developed country have a high or low literacy rate?

Impoverished countries generally have lower literacy rates. Education for children is less available, and many families that are struggling may need their children to work to bring in income to the household, so education is not prioritized. Some of the poorest countries in the world have the lowest literacy rates.

Why is literacy so low in Africa?

For adults in Sub-Saharan Africa, the rates have improved by 10%, but there is a disparity between literacy for women and men. While 7 in 10 men can read, only half of the women can do so. One of the largest barriers to increasing literacy is the lack of books, especially in rural areas.

Why do literacy levels remain low for most of Africa?

Low Literacy Levels in Africa

(Source: World Bank) The legacy of colonialism still echoes, with many African countries inheriting educational disparities. (Source: UNESCO). Limited resources, infrastructure, and political instability further hinder educational progress in the continent.

Are developed countries more educated?

The education levels of the adult workforce, often measured by average numbers of years of school, is in the developed countries nearly double that of their developing country peers.

Are literacy rates declining?

First study on state of global education since COVID-19 pandemic also focused on the mental state of students. A global education survey has revealed an “unprecedented” decline in academic progress in many countries.

What is the literacy rate of UK?

While in the UK the literacy rate is 99%, when you stop and think about that, you realise it means that one person in every hundred struggles to read and write. Even in the US, where the literacy rate is 99% too, 36 million adults can't maintain employment because of their inability to read or write.

What is Italy's literacy rate?

The literacy rate reached 99.94% in 2021. Between 2010 to 2021, the literacy rate of Italy grew by 0.1%. The percentage of the population in each age group who is literate serves as a measure of literacy.

What is Portugal's literacy rate?

The literacy rate reached 99.76% in 2021. Between 2010 to 2021, the literacy rate of Portugal increased at a low-digit growth. On a year-on-year basis, the literacy rate increased by a low digit growth in 2021. Around 70% of women and 95% of the world's illiterate populace reside in developing nations.

Why is US literacy so low?

Hispanics, older people, and incarcerated people are more likely to be low literate than other US adults. Major factors influencing literacy development include education, socioeconomic status, learning English as a second language, learning disabilities, and crime.

Which continent is the least educated in the world?

Of all regions, sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rates of education exclusion. Over one-fifth of children between the ages of about 6 and 11 are out of school, followed by one-third of youth between the ages of about 12 and 14.

What is the literacy rate in Japan?

Qualities of the Japanese educational system

Japan's adult literacy rate is at around 99 percent. According to the results of OECD's PISA Programme, Japanese fifteen-year-olds showcased high levels of education in the international comparison, scoring higher than the OECD standard in all rounds of assessment.

What is the literacy rate of China?

Literacy Rate in China (2018-2021, %)

Between 2018-2021, the literacy rate was highest in the year 2021 and lowest in the year 2018. The literacy rate reached 99.83% in 2021. Between 2015 to 2021, the literacy rate of China grew by 0.106%. On a year-on-year basis, the literacy rate increased by 0.018% in 2021.

What is the literacy rate in Afghanistan?

Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life. Afghanistan literacy rate for 2021 was 37.27%, a 5.82% increase from 2011.

Which country has the highest literacy rate in Africa?

Africa's Highest Literacy Rates 1. Seychelles (95.9%) 2. Equatorial Guinea (95.2%) 3.