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Adult literacy rate, 2019

The share of adults aged 15 and older who can both read and write.

OurWorldInData.org/literacy • CC BY

Source: UNESCO (via World Bank)

Note: Under the UNESCO metric, someone who is literate can, with understanding, read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life. However, definitions and criteria of literacy can vary by
country. You can find further discussion on 'How is literacy measured?' in our post here: https://ourworldindata.org/how-is-literacy-measured

1970

2019

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Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female (%)
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female (%)
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male (%)
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Literacy rates, adult female, one-sentence test (DHS) vs self-reports (UNESCO)
Literacy rates, adult male, one-sentence test (DHS) vs self-reports (UNESCO)
Youth literacy rate, female
Youth literacy rate, male

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