LITERACY IN THE WORLD
775.000.000 adults or nearly 16 %
of the world’s population is illiterate.
of the world’s population is illiterate.
Global literacy report
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Literacy is a human right, a tool for personal empowerment and a means for social and human development.
Educational opportunities depend on literacy.
Adult illiteracy
20% of all female
adults are illiterate
11% of all male
adults are illiterate
“Every literate woman is a victory over poverty”
Ban Ki-moon
Literacy is at the heart
of basic education for
all and essential for
poverty eradication,
gender equality,
maternal health,
child mortality reduction, sustainable development, peace and democracy.
Youth illiteracy
122 million or 10% of the entire youth population are illiterate
61%
are female
are female
39%
are male
are male
39% of all illiterate adults comes from India
India has the highest number of illiterate adults:
287 million
that is over
four times
the population
of France
four times
the population
of France
“Literacy is a
development accelerator
and a force for peace”
Irina Bokova
development accelerator
and a force for peace”
Irina Bokova
Sub-Saharan Africa holds the most
illiterate youth & adults
29 % male adults
24 % male youth
47 % female adults
34 % female youth
The majority of people living on
less than $ 1,25 a day lives in
Sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia
Living in a conflict-affected area increases
the likelihood of not becoming literate or
of not gaining acces to education.
21 developing countries
spend more money
on arms than on
primary schools.
Cutting military
spending by
10 %
could put
9,5 million
children into school
42% of out-of-school
children worldwide live
in conflict-affected
countries.
“Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world”
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Let's fight
illiteracy!
“Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope. It is a tool for daily life in modern society. It is a bulwark against poverty, and a building block of development, an essential complement to investments in roads, dams, clinics and factories. Literacy is a platform for democratization, and a vehicle for the promotion of cultural and national identity. Especially for girls and women, it is an agent of family health and nutrition. For everyone, everywhere, literacy is, along with education in general, a basic human right.... Literacy is, finally, the road to human progress and the means through which every man, woman and child can realize his or her full potential.”
Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan