CHANGES IN LITERACY RATES

 Literacy rates around the world have seen substantial growth over the past 30 years. 

Here are some key points:

• Global literacy today: The majority of the world population older than 15 years are literate. In many countries, more than 95% have basic literacy skills.
• Historical change in literacy: Literacy rates grew constantly but rather slowly until the beginning of the twentieth century. The rate of growth really climbed after the middle of the 20th century, when the expansion of basic education became a global priority.
• World Literacy Rate 1976-2024: The world literacy rate for 2020 was 86.81%, a 0.16% increase from 2019. The rate for 2019 was 86.66%, a 0.38% increase from 2018.

Despite these improvements, large inequalities remain, notably between some sub-Saharan Africa and the rest of the world. In some countries in sub-Saharan Africa, fewer than 1-in-3 adults (aged over 15 years) are able to both read and write.