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Table 4.A - Basic education and literacy
Sources      Technical notes
	2nd-level gross enrolment  ratio (per 100),		Girl's share of 2nd-level enrolment (%),		Percentage illiterate, 1985/2002 a
	2000/2001		1992/1997		Ages 15-24				Ages 25 +
Country or area	W	M			W		M		W		M
Africa
Algeria	73	68	48		38		14		80		50
Angola	16	19	..		..		..		..		..
Benin	..	..	..		73		45		88		67
Botswana	82	77	52		8		14		40		47
Burkina Faso	8	12	35		77		54		..		..
Burundi	9	12	39		52		40		82		57
Cameroon	..	..	..		29		15		68		43
Cape Verde	77	75	49		14		10		63		35
Central African Republic	..	..	29		65		37		87		60
Chad	..	..	20		40		27		..		..
Comoros	..	..	..		48		35		..		..
Congo	38	46	43		3		2		..		..
Côte d'Ivoire	17	30	32		62		40		85		64
Dem. Rep. of the Congo	..	..	31		25		12		..		..
Djibouti	14	23	41		62		38		87		63
Egypt	83	88	45		46		29		79		50
Equatorial Guinea	..	..	35		5		2		..		..
Eritrea	24	33	42		40		20		..		..
Ethiopia	4	6	43		51		39		..		..
Gabon	58	61	47		..		..		..		..
Gambia	31	44	38		51		35		..		..
Ghana	32	40	..		11		6		..		..
Guinea	..	..	26		..		..		..		..
Guinea-Bissau	..	..	..		56		27		..		..
Kenya	29	32	..		14		8		54		26
Lesotho	36	30	59		2		17		..		..
Liberia	..	..	..		47		15		..		..
Libyan Arab Jamahiraya	..	..	..		7		<1		..		..
Madagascar	..	..	49		23		16		..		..
Malawi	31	40	18		51		30		75		37
Mali	..	..	34		81		62		91		76
Mauritania	20	22	34		62		43		83		59
Mauritius	75	79	50		5		6		24		14
Morocco	..	..	42		54		29		80		53
Mozambique	9	14	39		62		40		81		47
Namibia	65	58	54		10		14		35		27
Niger	5	8	35		90		75		97		87
Nigeria	..	..	46		16		10		..		..
Reunion	..	..	50		<1		5		..		..
Rwanda	14	14	44		23		17		..		..
Sao Tome and Principe	..	..	..		8		4		54		21
Senegal	..	..	37		72		51		88		70
Seychelles	..	..	49		2		3		21		23
Sierra Leone	24	29	..		..		.		..		..
South Africa	91	83	54		9		9		..		..
Sudan	..	..	47		41	b	22	b	74	b	43	b
Swaziland	..	..	51		16		17		46		37
Togo	24	54	27		36		13		..		..
Tunisia	80	76	48		28		7		68		42
Uganda	..	..	38		37		23		67		37
United Rep. of Tanzania	5	6	46		12		7		..		..
Zambia	21	26	..		28		20		53		25
Zimbabwe	42	47	46		4		6		33	c	17	c
Latin America/Caribbean
Argentina	100	94	52		2		2		5		4
Bahamas	..	..	55		2		4		..		..
Barbados	102	101	..		..		..		..		..
Belize	77	71	52		20	d	21	d	33	e	32	e
Bolivia	78	81	..		8		4		36		16
Brazil	114	103	..		4		7		17		17
Chile	86	85	51		1		2		8		7
Colombia	73	67	51		4	f	5	f	12		11
Costa Rica	63	58	51		2		3		6		6
Cuba	87	83	52		<1		<1		..		..
Dominican Republic	67	53	57		8		10		..		..
Ecuador	58	57	50		4		4		13		9
El Salvador	..	..	52		15		15		36		27
French Guiana	..	..	50		..		..		..		..
Grenada	..	..	54		..		..		..		..
Guadeloupe	..	..	52		..		..		..		..
Guatemala	35	39	47		29		18		50		34
Guyana	..	..	51		<1		<1		..		..
Haiti	..	..	..		36		36		..		..
Honduras	..	..	..		20		23		43		40
Jamaica	85	82	51		6		17		17		26
Martinique	..	..	51		<1		<1		..		..
Mexico	77	73	49		4		3		15		9
Netherlands Antilles	89	78	..		3		3		5		5
Nicaragua	58	50	53		28		29		..		..
Panama	71	67	..		4		4		10		9
Paraguay	61	59	51		5		4		14		10
Peru	82	89	48		7	g	3	g	28	h	10	h
Puerto Rico	..	..	..		6		8		12		11
Saint Kitts and Nevis	..	..	51		..		..		..		..
Saint Lucia	100	77	63		..		..		..		..
Suriname	94	80	53		..		..		..		..
Trinidad and Tobago	84	78	50		1		1		6		2
Uruguay	105	92	..		1		2		3		4
US Virgin Islands	..	..	50		..		..		..		..
Venezuela	..	..	57		4		5		14		11
Asia
Afghanistan	..	..	25		..		..		..		..
Armenia	..	..	..		<1		<1		2		1
Azerbaijan	84	86	51		<1		<1		2		1
Bahrain	105	98	51		4		3		30		13
Bangladesh	47	45	..		60		43		..		..
Brunei Darussalam	85	80	52		2		2		24		10
Cambodia	13	24	36		29		18		49		22
Chinai	58	77	46		2		1		17		6
China, Hong Kong SAR	..	..	49		<1		1		..		..
China, Macao SAR	87	82	53		<1		1		15		6
Cyprus	94	93	49	j	<1		<1		6		2
Georgia	..	..	49		<1		<1		2		1
India	..	..	38		35		20		..		..
Indonesia	56	58	45		5		3		34		16
Iran (Islamic Rep. of)	75	81	44		10		5		47		28
Iraq	..	..	38		20		12		53		31
Israel	93	94	50		1		1		9		4
Jordan	..	..	50	k	4		2		41		15
Kazakhstan	87	90	52		<1		<1		5		1
Kuwait	57	55	49		7		8		..		..
Kyrgyzstan	86	86	..		<1		<1		6		2
Lao People's Dem. Rep.	31	44	39		36		21		60		29
Lebanon	79	72	..		7		3		..		..
Malaysia	74	67	57		5		4		31		15
Maldives	57	53	..		2		2		5		5
Mongolia	77	63	57		2		3		3		2
Myanmar	38	40	50		10		9		..		..
Nepal	43	58	32		67		32		89	l	59	l
Occupied Palestinian Territory	86	80	48		3		3		30		11
Oman	67	69	48		4		1		..		..
Pakistan	20	29	32		57		33		73		46
Philippines	81	74	..		3		4		9		7
Qatar	92	86	49		9		11		35		26
Republic of Korea	94	94	48		<1		<1		..		..
Saudi Arabia	64	71	46		19		6		55		25
Singapore	..	..	47		<1		1		13		4
Sri Lanka	..	..	51		3		3		..		..
Syrian Arab Republic	41	46	46		21		5		..		..
Tajikistan	71	86	..		<1		<1		5		2
Thailand	80	84	..		2		1		12		5
Turkey	..	..	39		12		3		40		13
Turkmenistan	..	..	..		<1		<1		5		2
United Arab Emirates	80	71	50		6		13		..		..
Uzbekistan	..	..	..		<1		<1		6		2
Viet Nam	64	70	..		6	g	6	g	18	h	6	h
Yemen	..	..	20		64		17		92		57
Oceania
American Samoa	..	..	46		<1		<1		1		<1
Fiji	..	..	49		3		2		23		13
French Polynesia	..	..	55		..		..		..		..
Guam	..	..	..		<1		<1		1		1
Kiribati	..	..	54		..		..		..		..
Marshall Islands	..	..	..		4		5		14		9
Micronesia (Fed. States of)	..	..	..		5		6		31		23
New Caledonia	..	..	52		1		1		11		8
Palau	..	..	..		1		1		4		2
Papua New Guinea	18	24	39		..		..		..		..
Samoa	80	73	50		1		1		2		3
Solomon Islands	..	..	38		..		..		..		..
Togo	..	..	..		36		13		..		..
Tonga	..	..	48		1		1		1		1
Vanuatu	26	31	43		..		..		..		..
Developed regions
Albania	77	75	49		4		1		..		..
Australia	157	156	49		..		..		..		..
Austria	97	101	47		..		..		..		..
Belarus	93	96	..		<1		<1		4		1
Belgium	153	138	51		..		..		..		..
Bulgaria	91	93	49		1		1		3		1
Canada	103	102	49		..		..		..		..
Croatia	..	..	49		<1		<1		6		1
Czech Republic	88	87	50		..		..		..		..
Denmark	131	125	49		..		..		..		..
Estonia	108	105	52		<1		<1		1		1
Finland	130	119	53		..		..		..		..
France	109	109	49		..		..		..		..
Germany	99	100	48		..		..		..		..
Greece	96	93	49		<1		1		8		3
Hungary	99	98	50		<1		1		1		1
Iceland	113	105	48		..		..		..		..
Ireland	127	119	50		..		..		..		..
Italy	91	95	49		<1		<1		..		..
Japan	103	102	49		..		..		..		..
Latvia	90	88	51		<1		<1		1		<1
Lithuania	92	91	50		<1		<1		3		1
Luxembourg	99	93	49		..		..		..		..
Malta	85	95	47		<1		3		..		..
Monaco	..	..	51		..		..		..		..
Netherlands	122	127	47		..		..		..		..
New Zealand	116	110	50		..		..		..		..
Norway	118	116	47		..		..		..		..
Poland	98	99	49		<1		<1		..		..
Portugal	116	108	51		1		1		19		11
Republic of Moldova	..	..	50		<1		<1		7		2
Romania	81	80	49		1		1		6		2
Russian Federation	85	79	..		<1		<1		4		1
San Marino	..	..	48		..		..		..		..
Serbia and Montenegro	..	..	50		1		1		13		3
Slovakia	87	86	49		..		..		..		..
Slovenia	100	97	49		<1		<1		1		<1
Spain	116	110	51		1		1		7		3
Sweden	172	135	53		..		..		..		..
Switzerland	96	103	47		..		..		..		..
The FYR of Macedonia	82	85	48		1		1		11		3
Ukraine	99	87	..		2		<1		3		1
United Kingdom	169	146	52		..		..		..		..
United States	95	94	49		..		..		..		..

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Sources:

For second-level gross enrolment ratio: the UNESCO Institute for Statistics website (http://www.uis.unesco.org, accessed on October 2003); for girl's share of second- level enrolment: United Nations, Women's Indicators and Statistics Database (Wistat), version 4, CD-ROM, (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.00.XVII.4), based on data provided by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization; for percentage illiterate: United Nations Statistics Division Social Indicators website (http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/social/illiteracy.htm, accessed on January 2004).

Footnotes:

Note: Two dots (..) indicate that data are not available or are not reported separately.

^aData refer to the latest year available after 1985. For the exact reference year, see United Nations Statistics Division Social Indicators website (http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/social/illiteracy.htm)
^bData refer to northern states only and do not include homeless and/ or nomad population.
^cData refer to ages 25-64.
^dData refer to ages 14-19.
^eData refer to ages 20+.
^fData refer to ages 18-24.
^gData refer to ages 15-29.
^hData refer to ages 30+.
ⁱFor statistical purposes, data for China do not include Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative  Regions.
^jData exclude Turkish institutions.
^kData refer to the East Bank only.
^lData refer to ages 25-69.

Technical notes:

Table 4.A presents selected indicators on second level enrolment and on illiteracy.

Indicators on enrolment have been prepared mainly from statistics published by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in its Statistical Yearbook and web site. UNESCO compiles enrolment statistics from data provided by national Governments in response to UNESCO questionnaires.

ISCED classifies education at the first, second and third levels as follows: First-level education refers to schooling the main function of which is to provide the basic elements of education (e.g., at elementary school or primary school). The duration of first-level education varies considerably across countries (anywhere from four to nine years) but lasts for six years in most countries. Education at the second level is education provided at middle school, secondary school, high school, teacher-training school at this level, and schools of a vocational or technical nature. Second-level education follows at least four years' previous instruction at the first level, and provides general and/or specialized education. Education at the third level is that provided at university, teachers' college or higher professional school, and requires as a minimum condition of admission the successful completion of education at the second level.

Enrolment data in table 4.A refer, in general, to the beginning of the school or academic year. While they offer an easy way of comparing the number of boys and girls enrolled in schools, these statistics do not reflect differences between boys and girls in rates of absenteeism, grade repetition and dropping out.

The second-level gross enrolment ratio is defined as total second-level enrolment, regardless of age, divided by the population of the age group that corresponds to this level of education. The ratio shown in the tables has been multiplied by 100 to make it less cumbersome to read. It should be noted that the numerator includes all pupils regardless of age, whereas the population used in the denominator is limited to the range of official school ages for the second level. Therefore, for countries with almost universal education at these levels, the gross enrolment ratio may exceed 100 if the actual ages of the pupils do not coincide with official school ages (e.g., as a result of early age at enrolment or repetition of grades).

Rates of illiteracy are prepared from data published by UNESCO or the United Nations Demographic Yearbook, based on data from national population censuses or sample surveys. They are supplemented by published and unpublished data compiled from national sources by consultants in cooperation with the regional commissions of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Data on illiteracy are also included in Wistat.

The definition of literacy is given in a sidebar to chapter 4 of the report. Persons able to read but not write, as well as those who can write but not read, are not considered to be literate. This definition of literacy is widely used in national population censuses and surveys, but its interpretation and application may vary to some extent among countries, depending on national, social and cultural circumstances. Furthermore, this concept of literacy includes persons who, although familiar with the basics of reading and writing, might still be considered functionally illiterate. Thus, a measure of functional illiteracy would also be useful, but such statistics are collected in only a few countries.

Illiteracy rates are shown separately for the age groups 15-24 and 25 or over. For young people in developing regions, literacy may be a better measure of education than enrolment since it usually reflects a minimal level of successfully completed schooling (see box on measuring education). It should be noted that data are lacking for a number of countries or areas in the developed regions. This is due to the fact that a question on literacy was not included in the population censuses, since illiteracy has been reduced to minimal levels through several decades of universal primary education.