|
Indicators
on illiteracy |
Last
update: 28 January 2005 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ages
15-24
|
|
Ages
25+
|
|
|
|
|
Albania |
0.8 |
1.7 |
|
2001 |
b |
0.6 |
0.5 |
. |
. |
Algeria |
22.0 |
40.4 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
6.0 |
14.4 |
. |
. |
Angola |
17.9 |
46.2 |
|
2001 |
d |
17.3 |
37.4 |
. |
. |
Argentina |
3.0 |
3.0 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
1.6 |
1.1 |
. |
. |
Armenia |
0.3 |
0.8 |
|
2001 |
b |
0.2 |
0.1 |
0.4 |
1.0 |
Azerbaijan |
0.5 |
1.8 |
|
1999 |
b |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.7 |
2.4 |
Bahrain |
11.4 |
16.4 |
|
2001 |
b |
3.2 |
2.7 |
. |
. |
Bangladesh |
49.7 |
68.6 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
42.2 |
58.9 |
. |
. |
Barbados |
0.3 |
0.3 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
0.2 |
0.2 |
. |
. |
Belarus |
0.2 |
0.4 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
0.2 |
0.2 |
. |
. |
Belize |
23.3 |
22.9 |
|
2000 |
b |
16.1 |
15.4 |
. |
. |
Benin |
45.2 |
74.5 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
27.3 |
61.5 |
. |
. |
Bolivia |
6.9 |
19.3 |
|
2001 |
b |
1.5 |
3.9 |
. |
. |
Bosnia and Herzegovina |
1.6 |
8.9 |
|
2000 |
d |
0.4 |
0.3 |
. |
. |
Botswana |
23.9 |
18.5 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
14.5 |
7.2 |
. |
. |
Brazil |
13.8 |
13.5 |
|
2000 |
b |
7.3 |
4.3 |
16.4 |
17.0 |
Brunei Darussalam |
3.7 |
8.6 |
|
2001 |
b |
1.0 |
0.7 |
. |
. |
Bulgaria |
0.9 |
1.9 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
0.2 |
0.4 |
. |
. |
Burkina Faso |
81.5 |
91.9 |
|
1996 |
b |
74.5 |
86.0 |
. |
. |
Burundi |
33.2 |
48.1 |
|
2000 |
d |
24.4 |
30.5 |
. |
. |
Cambodia |
19.2 |
40.7 |
|
1998 |
b |
18.1 |
28.8 |
21.7 |
49.0 |
Cameroon |
23.0 |
40.2 |
|
. |
|
. |
. |
. |
. |
Cape Verde |
14.6 |
32.0 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
8.0 |
13.7 |
. |
. |
Central African Rep. |
35.2 |
66.5 |
|
2000 |
d |
29.7 |
53.2 |
. |
. |
Chad |
59.4 |
87.3 |
|
2000 |
d |
44.7 |
76.9 |
. |
. |
Chile |
4.2 |
4.4 |
|
2002 |
b |
1.2 |
0.8 |
. |
. |
China e |
4.9 |
13.5 |
|
2000 |
b |
0.8 |
1.5 |
5.9 |
16.6 |
China, Macao SAR |
4.7 |
12.2 |
|
2001 |
b |
0.6 |
0.2 |
4.0 |
8.5 |
Colombia |
7.9 |
7.8 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
3.5 |
2.1 |
. |
. |
Comoros |
36.5 |
50.9 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
34.4 |
47.8 |
. |
. |
Congo |
11.1 |
22.9 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
1.6 |
2.7 |
. |
. |
Costa Rica |
4.3 |
4.1 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
1.9 |
1.3 |
. |
. |
Côte d'Ivoire |
39.9 |
61.9 |
|
2000 |
d |
30.5 |
48.5 |
. |
. |
Croatia |
0.7 |
2.9 |
|
2001 |
b |
0.4 |
0.3 |
0.8 |
3.4 |
Cuba |
3.0 |
3.2 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
0.2 |
0.2 |
. |
. |
Cyprus |
1.4 |
4.9 |
|
2001 |
b |
0.3 |
0.2 |
1.6 |
6.0 |
Dem. Rep. of the Congo |
20.2 |
48.1 |
|
2000 |
d |
23.3 |
38.9 |
. |
. |
Dominican Republic |
12.0 |
12.7 |
|
2000 |
d |
6.9 |
5.0 |
. |
. |
Ecuador |
7.7 |
10.3 |
|
2001 |
b |
3.6 |
3.5 |
9.4 |
13.1 |
Egypt |
32.8 |
56.4 |
|
1996 |
b |
21.0 |
33.1 |
. |
. |
El Salvador |
17.6 |
22.9 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
10.4 |
11.9 |
. |
. |
Estonia |
0.2 |
0.2 |
|
2000 |
b |
0.3 |
0.2 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
Ethiopia |
50.8 |
66.2 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
37.0 |
48.2 |
. |
. |
Fiji |
5.5 |
8.6 |
|
1996 |
b |
0.0 |
0.0 |
2.5 |
6.3 |
Ghana |
37.1 |
54.3 |
|
. |
|
. |
. |
. |
. |
Guatemala |
22.7 |
37.5 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
13.8 |
26.2 |
. |
. |
Haiti |
46.2 |
50.0 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
34.2 |
33.5 |
. |
. |
Honduras |
20.2 |
19.8 |
|
2001 |
b |
13.1 |
9.1 |
. |
. |
Hungary |
0.6 |
0.7 |
|
2001 |
b |
0.6 |
0.4 |
0.6 |
0.8 |
Indonesia |
7.5 |
16.6 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
1.5 |
2.4 |
. |
. |
Iran (Islamic Rep. of) |
16.5 |
29.6 |
|
. |
|
. |
. |
. |
. |
Israel |
2.7 |
6.6 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
0.4 |
0.6 |
. |
. |
Jamaica |
16.2 |
8.6 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
8.7 |
2.2 |
. |
. |
Jordan |
4.5 |
14.1 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
0.7 |
0.5 |
. |
. |
Kazakhstan |
0.2 |
0.7 |
|
1999 |
b |
0.2 |
0.1 |
0.3 |
0.9 |
Kenya |
10.0 |
21.5 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
3.6 |
4.9 |
. |
. |
Kuwait |
15.3 |
19.0 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
7.8 |
6.1 |
. |
. |
Kyrgyzstan |
0.7 |
1.9 |
|
1999 |
b |
0.3 |
0.3 |
0.8 |
2.5 |
Lao People's Dem. Rep. |
23.0 |
39.1 |
|
2001 |
c |
17.4 |
25.3 |
. |
. |
Latvia |
0.2 |
0.3 |
|
2000 |
b |
0.3 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.3 |
Lesotho |
26.3 |
9.7 |
|
. |
|
. |
. |
. |
. |
Liberia |
27.7 |
60.7 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
13.7 |
44.6 |
. |
. |
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya |
8.2 |
29.3 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
0.2 |
6.0 |
. |
. |
Lithuania |
0.4 |
0.4 |
|
2001 |
b |
0.3 |
0.3 |
0.4 |
0.4 |
Madagascar |
23.6 |
34.8 |
|
2000 |
d |
27.6 |
31.9 |
. |
. |
Malawi |
25.1 |
46.0 |
|
1998 |
b |
17.9 |
29.3 |
. |
. |
Malaysia |
8.0 |
14.6 |
|
2000 |
b |
2.8 |
2.7 |
. |
. |
Maldives |
2.7 |
2.8 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
0.9 |
0.8 |
. |
. |
Mali |
73.3 |
88.1 |
|
1998 |
b |
67.7 |
83.1 |
. |
. |
Malta |
8.2 |
6.6 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
2.4 |
0.2 |
. |
. |
Martinique |
2.8 |
2.0 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
0.2 |
0.2 |
. |
. |
Mauritania |
48.5 |
68.7 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
42.6 |
58.2 |
. |
. |
Mauritius |
11.8 |
19.5 |
|
2000 |
b |
6.3 |
4.6 |
13.5 |
24.0 |
Mexico |
7.4 |
11.3 |
|
2000 |
b |
3.2 |
3.5 |
9.3 |
14.7 |
Mongolia |
2.0 |
2.5 |
|
2000 |
b |
3.0 |
1.6 |
1.5 |
2.9 |
Morocco |
36.7 |
61.7 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
22.6 |
38.7 |
. |
. |
Mozambique |
37.7 |
68.6 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
23.4 |
50.8 |
. |
. |
Myanmar |
6.3 |
13.8 |
|
2000 |
d |
4.4 |
6.8 |
. |
. |
Namibia |
16.2 |
17.2 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
9.4 |
6.0 |
. |
. |
Nepal |
37.3 |
65.1 |
|
2001 |
b |
19.4 |
39.8 |
45.0 |
76.4 |
Netherlands Antilles |
3.3 |
3.3 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
1.8 |
1.5 |
. |
. |
New Caledonia |
3.2 |
4.5 |
|
. |
|
. |
. |
. |
. |
Nicaragua |
23.2 |
23.4 |
|
2001 |
c |
16.4 |
11.2 |
. |
. |
Niger |
69.6 |
89.4 |
|
2000 |
d |
62.8 |
84.3 |
. |
. |
Nigeria |
25.6 |
40.6 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
9.3 |
13.5 |
. |
. |
Occupied Palestinian Ter. |
7.8 |
20.3 |
|
1997 |
b |
3.1 |
2.8 |
10.6 |
29.9 |
Oman |
18.0 |
34.6 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
0.4 |
2.7 |
. |
. |
Pakistan |
46.6 |
71.5 |
|
1998 |
b |
32.9 |
56.9 |
50.6 |
78.5 |
Panama |
7.5 |
8.8 |
|
2000 |
b |
3.5 |
4.4 |
8.9 |
10.4 |
Paraguay |
6.9 |
9.8 |
|
2000/2001 |
c |
3.8 |
3.5 |
. |
. |
Peru |
8.7 |
19.7 |
|
2002 |
c |
2.3 |
4.4 |
. |
. |
Philippines |
7.5 |
7.3 |
|
2000 |
b |
5.5 |
4.3 |
8.3 |
8.7 |
Puerto Rico |
6.1 |
5.6 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
2.9 |
1.6 |
. |
. |
Qatar |
15.1 |
17.7 |
|
1997 |
b |
5.9 |
4.2 |
. |
. |
Republic of Moldova |
2.5 |
5.0 |
|
2000 |
d |
1.7 |
0.9 |
. |
. |
Reunion |
13.7 |
9.8 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
4.2 |
0.3 |
. |
. |
Romania |
1.6 |
3.7 |
|
2002 |
b |
2.3 |
2.2 |
1.4 |
4.1 |
Russian Federation |
0.3 |
0.5 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
0.2 |
0.2 |
. |
. |
Rwanda |
29.5 |
41.2 |
|
2000 |
d |
22.8 |
24.1 |
. |
. |
Saint Lucia |
10.4 |
9.4 |
|
2001 |
b |
5.2 |
4.1 |
12.4 |
11.3 |
Samoa |
1.1 |
1.6 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
0.6 |
0.5 |
. |
. |
Saudi Arabia |
15.9 |
30.5 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
4.6 |
8.4 |
. |
. |
Senegal |
43.9 |
71.5 |
|
2000 |
d |
37.7 |
57.9 |
. |
. |
Serbia and Montenegro |
1.1 |
5.9 |
|
2002 |
b |
0.6 |
0.7 |
1.2 |
6.9 |
Seychelles |
8.6 |
7.7 |
|
2003 |
b |
1.2 |
0.6 |
. |
. |
Sierra Leone |
60.2 |
79.5 |
|
2000 |
d |
53.1 |
70.1 |
. |
. |
Singapore |
3.4 |
11.4 |
|
2000 |
b |
0.6 |
0.4 |
4.0 |
13.4 |
Slovakia |
0.3 |
0.3 |
|
2001 |
b |
0.4 |
0.3 |
. |
. |
Slovenia |
0.3 |
0.4 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
0.2 |
0.2 |
. |
. |
South Africa |
15.9 |
19.1 |
|
1996 |
b |
6.3 |
5.6 |
19.5 |
24.0 |
Sri Lanka |
5.3 |
10.4 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
2.8 |
3.1 |
. |
. |
Sudan |
30.8 |
50.1 |
|
2000 |
d |
18.4 |
30.8 |
. |
. |
Swaziland |
19.6 |
21.9 |
|
2000 |
d |
13.2 |
10.6 |
. |
. |
Syrian Arab Republic |
9.0 |
25.8 |
|
2002 |
b |
2.9 |
7.0 |
. |
. |
Tajikistan |
0.3 |
0.7 |
|
2000 |
b |
0.2 |
0.2 |
. |
. |
Thailand |
5.1 |
9.5 |
|
2000 |
b |
1.9 |
2.2 |
5.4 |
12.1 |
The FYR of Macedonia |
1.8 |
5.9 |
|
2002 |
b |
1.0 |
1.5 |
2.0 |
7.0 |
Togo |
31.5 |
61.7 |
|
2000 |
d |
16.9 |
36.7 |
. |
. |
Tonga |
1.2 |
1.1 |
|
1996 |
b |
0.8 |
0.6 |
1.4 |
1.2 |
Trinidad and Tobago |
1.0 |
2.1 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
0.2 |
0.2 |
. |
. |
Tunisia |
16.9 |
36.9 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
2.1 |
9.4 |
. |
. |
Turkey |
5.6 |
21.5 |
|
2000 |
b |
2.2 |
6.8 |
7.0 |
27.4 |
Turkmenistan |
0.7 |
1.7 |
|
1995 |
b |
0.2 |
0.2 |
. |
. |
Uganda |
21.2 |
40.8 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
13.7 |
26.0 |
. |
. |
Ukraine |
1.3 |
4.2 |
|
2001 |
b |
0.4 |
0.3 |
1.6 |
4.9 |
United Arab Emirates |
24.4 |
19.3 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
11.8 |
5.0 |
. |
. |
United Rep. of Tanzania |
14.8 |
30.8 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
6.2 |
10.6 |
. |
. |
Uruguay |
2.7 |
1.9 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
1.2 |
0.6 |
. |
. |
Uzbekistan |
0.4 |
1.1 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
0.3 |
0.4 |
. |
. |
Venezuela |
6.7 |
7.3 |
|
2001 |
b |
3.7 |
1.9 |
8.0 |
9.4 |
Viet Nam |
6.1 |
13.1 |
|
1999 |
b f |
5.8 |
6.4 |
6.3 |
17.7 |
Yemen |
30.5 |
71.5 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
15.7 |
49.1 |
. |
. |
Zimbabwe |
6.2 |
13.7 |
|
2000-2004 |
a |
1.1 |
3.8 |
. |
. |
Source: United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
Sources:
Estimated adult illiteracy
For estimated adult illiteracy, calculated from
adult literacy rates published in the United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute for Statistics web site http://www.uis.unesco.org,
accessed on January 2005.
Illiteracy rate
For illiteracy rate among persons aged 15-24 and 25+, prepared by the
Statistics Division of the United Nations Secretariat from United Nations
Demographic Yearbook database (as of November 2004) and estimates
of youth illiteracy published in http://www.uis.unesco.org accessed on January 2005.
Footnotes:
a |
Estimates prepared by UNESCO Institute for Statistics
(July 2002 assessment). |
b |
Based on the population census of year shown. |
c |
Based on a survey. |
d |
Based on Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS). |
e |
For statistical purposes the data for
China do not include Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions and Taiwan province of China. |
f |
Data
shown for ages 15 - 29 and 30+. |
Technical notes:
The United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization defines an illiterate
person as someone who can not, with understanding, both read and write
a short, simple statement on his or her everyday life. A person who can
only read but not write, or can write but not read is considered to be
illiterate. A person who can only write figures, his or her name or a
memorized ritual phrase is also not considered 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, though familiar with the
basics of reading and writing, might still be considered functionally
illiterate.
Literacy is a
good measure of educational achievement in developing regions. 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.
The first two
columns present the latest estimates of adult (aged 15+) illiteracy prepared
by UNESCO.    
The rates of illiteracy
among persons aged 15-24 and 25+ shown here are prepared from the United
Nations Demographic Yearbook database and data published by UNESCO.
For many countries or areas, illiteracy
rates are not available from UNESCO for one or more of the following reasons:
(a) illiteracy is believed to have been reduced to minimal levels through
several decades of universal primary education, (b) it has not been possible
to establish revised estimates following recent mass literacy campaigns,
(c) not even a minimal database is available for making rough estimates,
or (d) countries have preferred that no estimate be published.
|