Color-Coded World Map > Literacy - World

All Top 10 Top 20 Top 50 Top 100 Demographics: Population Demographics: Population growth rate Demographics: Birth rate Demographics: Death rate Demographics: Net migration rate Demographics: Infant mortality rate Demographics: Life expectancy at birth Demographics: Total fertility rate Demographics: HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate Demographics: HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS Demographics: HIV/AIDS - deaths Demographics: Literacy Economy: GDP (purchasing power parity) Economy: GDP - real growth rate Economy: GDP - per capita (PPP) Economy: Population below poverty line Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices) Economy: Investment (gross fixed) Economy: Labor force Economy: Unemployment rate Economy: Public debt Economy: Industrial production growth rate Economy: Electricity - production Economy: Electricity - consumption Economy: Electricity - exports Economy: Electricity - imports Economy: Oil - production Economy: Oil - consumption Economy: Oil - imports Economy: Oil - exports Economy: Oil - proved reserves Economy: Natural gas - production Economy: Natural gas - consumption Economy: Natural gas - exports Economy: Natural gas - imports Economy: Natural gas - proved reserves Economy: Current Account Balance Economy: Exports Economy: Imports Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold Economy: Debt - external Economy: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home Economy: Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad Economy: Market value of publicly traded shares Economy: Economic aid - donor Telecommunications: Telephones - main lines in use Telecommunications: Telephones - mobile cellular Telecommunications: Internet hosts Telecommunications: Internet users Transportation: Railways Transportation: Roadways Transportation: Waterways Transportation: Merchant marine Transportation: Airports Transportation: Airports - with paved runways Transportation: Airports - with unpaved runways Transportation: Heliports Military: Manpower available for military service Military: Manpower fit for military service Military: Manpower reaching military service age annually Military: Military expenditures - dollar figure Military: Military expenditures - percent of GDP Telecommunications: Telephones - main lines in use per capita Telecommunications: Telephones - mobile cellular per capita Africa Asia Central America & the Caribbean Europe Middle East North America Oceania South America World

Definition: This entry includes a definition of literacy and Census Bureau percentages for the total population, males, and females. There are no universal definitions and standards of literacy. Unless otherwise specified, all rates are based on the most common definition - the ability to read and write at a specified age. Detailing the standards that individual countries use to assess the ability to read and write is beyond the scope of the Factbook. Information on literacy, while not a perfect measure of educational results, is probably the most easily available and valid for international comparisons. Low levels of literacy, and education in general, can impede the economic development of a country in the current rapidly changing, technology-driven world.

Source: CIA World Factbook - Unless otherwise noted, information in this page is accurate as of January 1, 2009

See also: Literacy bar chart