Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 85.5%
male: 90.4%
female: 80.8% (2016)
Definition: This entry includes a definition of literacy and UNESCO's percentage estimates for populations aged 15 years and over, including 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 - This page was last updated on Saturday, September 18, 2021
See Also- Literacy by year chart
- Literacy rank chart
- Literacy - comparative map
- Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) - thematic map - World Bank indicator
- Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) - country comparison - World Bank indicator
- School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
- Education expenditures
