Global Literacy Rate Over the Last 100 Years

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The global literacy rate has seen significant improvements over the past century, reflecting advancements in education and access to schooling:

  • 1920: The global literacy rate was approximately 68% [1].
  • 1950: The literacy rate increased to around 64% [1].
  • 1960: The rate reached 58% [1][3].
  • 1970: The global literacy rate jumped to 44% [1][3].
  • 1980: It further increased to 44% [1][3].
  • 1990: The literacy rate reached 32% [1][3].
  • 2000: The global literacy rate hit 80% [1][3].
  • 2010: The rate increased to 84% [1][3].
  • 2020: The global literacy rate stood at 86.71% [2][3].
  • 2022: The latest data shows the literacy rate reached 87.01% [1][2][4].

Contributing Factors

  • Expansion of education: Increased access to primary and secondary education has been a key driver of higher literacy rates.
  • Gender equality: Efforts to close the gender gap in education have contributed to more girls and women becoming literate.
  • Economic development: Rising living standards and reduced poverty have enabled more children to attend school.

Regional Disparities

While the global literacy rate has improved significantly, strong regional inequalities remain:

  • Most developed countries have achieved a 99% literacy rate [4].
  • South Asia had a literacy rate of 74% in 2020 [4].
  • Sub-Saharan Africa had the lowest rate at 66% in 2020, with some countries like Mali at only 31% [4][5].
  • Gender gaps persist, especially in regions with low overall literacy. In 2020, the global literacy rate was 90% for men compared to 87% for women. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the rate was 72% for men and 59% for women [4][5].

These statistics illustrate the significant progress made in improving global literacy over the past century, while also highlighting the ongoing challenges in achieving universal literacy, particularly in addressing regional disparities and gender gaps.

Citations:
[1] https://www.statista.com/statistics/997360/global-adult-and-youth-literacy/
[2] https://www.macrotrends.net/global-metrics/countries/WLD/world/literacy-rate
[3] https://www.voronoiapp.com/demographics/The-Global-Literacy-Rate-Hits-a-New-High-of-87-1952
[4] https://www.statista.com/chart/28179/literacy-rates-selected-countries/
[5] https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/09/reading-writing-global-literacy-rate-changed/