Literacy Rates Continue to Rise from One Generation to the Next :: UNESCO

Literacy Rates Continue to Rise from One Generation to the Next

UNESCO Fact Sheet No. 45:  September 2017 FS/2017/LIT/45

To celebrate International Literacy Day on 8 September, this fact sheet presents the latest available literacy data from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) and an overview of national, regional and global trends over the past five decades. 

The data show remarkable improvement among youth in terms of reading and writing skills and a steady reduction in gender gaps. 50 years ago, almost one quarter of youth lacked basic literacy skills compared to less than 10% in 2016. However, 750 million adults – two-thirds of whom are women – remain illiterate (see Box 1 on methodological changes). 

Renewed efforts are therefore needed to reach the new literacy target of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): “by 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy”. The data are available via the UNESCO eAtlas of Literacy, which features interactive maps and charts that can be shared and downloaded.

According to UIS data, the majority of countries missed the Education for All (EFA) goal of reducing adult illiteracy rates by 50% between 2000 and 2015. At the global level, the adult and youth literacy rates are estimated to have grown by only 4% each over this period.  READ MORE @