Which country has the highest number of illiterate adults?

A minimal definition of literacy is being able to read, write and understand a short and simple statement about one's everyday life. The highest number of all people 15 years and older that are illiterate live in India, followed by Pakistan and Bangladesh; in Pakistan more than 40% of all adults are illiterate.

Where is illiteracy most common?

Over 75% of the world's 781 million illiterate adults are found in South Asia, West Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa, and women represent almost two-thirds of all illiterate adults globally.

Which country has lowest literacy rate in world?

These countries, according to data, are Niger, Guinea, South Sudan, Mali, Central African Republic, Burkina Faso, Somalia, Afghanistan, Benin, and Chad. Niger is the country with the lowest literacy rate, standing at a meager 19.10%. Following closely behind is Guinea with a literacy rate of 30.47%.

What country has 100% literacy rate?

Literacy Rates by Country

There are nine countries in the world that have a 100% literacy rate: Andorra, Finland, Greenland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and North Korea.

Where does the UK rank in literacy?

The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study - known as Pirls - saw England's rank jump from eighth to enter the top four. The tests internationally are looked at every five years and place countries in a global education league table.

The Rise of Global Literacy Rate Since 1980

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 country is number 1 in literacy?

There are also several countries with a literacy rate of 100%, including Andorra, Finland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, North Korea, Norway, and Uzbekistan.

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.

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.

What percent of England is illiterate?

In England, 16.4% of adults, or 7.1 million people, can be described as having "very poor literacy skills." This means they can understand short straightforward texts on familiar topics accurately and independently, and obtain information from everyday sources, but reading information from unfamiliar sources, or on ...

Who benefits from illiteracy?

Illiterate adults in the developing countries suffering from poverty and helplessness are a cheap source of labour which generates huge profits. The same situation prevails in the so-called free-trade zones in many developing countries.

What is the literacy rate of Russia?

Literacy Rate in Russia (2010-2021, %)

The literacy rate reached 99.69% in 2021. Between 2010 to 2021, the literacy rate of Russia decreased by 0.02%. On a year-on-year basis, the literacy rate decreased slightly in 2021.

Which country in Europe has the lowest literacy rate?

Literacy rate, 2021:

The highest value was in Latvia: 99.89 percent and the lowest value was in Malta: 94.94 percent. The indicator is available from 1970 to 2022. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

How much of Africa is illiterate?

Sub-Saharan Africa Literacy Facts:

More than 1 in 3 adults cannot read. 182 million adults are unable to read and write. 48 million youth (ages 15-24) are illiterate.

Is the majority of the world illiterate?

The global literacy rate currently stands at 87%, up from 12% in 1820. Most developed countries have achieved a 99% literacy rate.

What is Australia's literacy rate?

In Australia: about 44% of adults read at literacy level 1 to 2 (a low level) 38% of adults read at level 3. about 15% read at level 4 to 5 (the highest level).

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.

Which country invented literacy?

Origins of literacy

Script is thought to have developed independently at least five times in human history: Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus civilization, lowland Mesoamerica, and China. Between 3500 BCE and 3000 BCE, in southern Mesopotamia, the ancient Sumerians invented writing.

Why is North Korea literacy rate so high?

Part of the reason is the influence of Confucianism in Korea, and the genius of the hangul language, invented by King Sejong hundreds of years ago. It can be learned by anyone in less than a week. There is a great emphasis in education in both South AND North Korea, and they both have extremely high literacy rates.

What is Sweden's literacy rate?

Literacy of population

According to our estimates 8,711,141 persons or 99% of adult population (aged 15 years and above) in Sweden are able to read and write. Accordingly about 87,991 adults are illiterate. Literacy rate for adult male population is 99% (4,287,371 persons).

What is the literacy rate in Ireland?

Literacy and numeracy statistics

The OECD Adult Skills Survey shows that 17.9% or about 1 in 6, Irish adults are at or below level 1 on a five level literacy scale. At this level a person may be unable to understand basic written information. 25% or 1 in 4 Irish adults score at or below level 1 for numeracy.

What is the literacy rate in New Zealand?

Testing times for literacy rates

“Only 60% of 15-year-olds in New Zealand are achieving above the most basic level of reading, meaning a staggering 40% are struggling to read and write,” wrote Hood. The decline in writing ability appears to be of particular concern.

Can illiterate adults learn to read?

After 14 weeks of training with a new, optimized, literacy course based on cognitive research, six out of eight participants became able to read words they had never encountered, hence demonstrating that they were definitely engaged in decoding processes that allow autonomous reading.