As of March 2020, around 4.46 million Mexicans over 15 years of age were unable to write or read, approximately 4.74 percent. Mexico State, the federal entity with the highest share of the population, also registered the highest number of literate people with over 12 million.

This dataset provides the literacy rates of persons of different age groups in both rural and urban areas as per the PLFS report. The different age groups covered include those aged 5 years and above and those aged 7 years and above.

In 2023, the illiteracy rate among adults aged 15 years and older was almost 32 percent in Sub-Saharan Africa. In South Asia, the illiteracy rate was 25 percent. Adult illiteracy rate is defined as the percentage of the population aged 15 and older who can not read or write. Even though illiteracy continues to persist around the world, illiteracy levels have been reduced significantly over the past decades.

Graph and download economic data for Literacy Rate, Adult Total for Other Small States (SEADTLITRZSOSS) from 1984 to 2023 about literacy, adult, and rate.

United States - Literacy Rate, Adult Total for the Arab World was 73.36777 % of People Ages 15 and Above in January of 2020, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Literacy Rate, Adult Total for the Arab World reached a record high of 75.76682 in January of 2017 and a record low of 44.90297 in January of 1977. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Literacy Rate, Adult Total for the Arab World - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on March of 2025.

Among the states in India, Kerala had the highest literary rate with 94 percent in 2011. Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh and the capital territory of Delhi followed Kerala with above average literacy rates. Notably, all the leading states in the country had more literate males than females at the time of the census.

The statistic depicts the literacy rate in Mexico from 2008 to 2020. The literacy rate measures the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can read and write. In 2020, Mexico's literacy rate was around 95.25 percent. The source does not provide data for 2019.Education in MexicoThe literacy rate is commonly defined as the share of people in a country who are older than 15 years and are able to read and write. In Mexico, a state with more than 115 million inhabitants, the literacy rate is above 90 percent, making it significantly higher than the global average. More than 70 percent of Mexico’s population is older than 15 years, a figure than has been quite consistent over the last ten years. Mexico’s compulsory education comprises grades 1 to 9, with an optional secondary education up to grade 12. Literacy is considered basic education. The lowest literacy rates can be found in African countries, the highest in Europe. Additionally, the literacy rate is one of the factors that determines a country’s ranking on the Human Development Index of the United Nations, which ranks the overall well-being of a country’s population. Apart from literacy, it also includes factors such as per-capita income, health and life expectancy and others. Mexico is currently not among the countries with the highest Human Development Index value.

In 2020, China had a youth literacy rate of about 99.8 percent. In contrast, Afghanistan's youth literacy rate stood at 55.9 percent in 2021.Indicators for the literacy rateAn indicator which can be seen to affect the literacy rate is the governmental effort in investing in education. The amount of funds invested into the education sector is a factor which can determine a country’s state of education, as the amount of money being spent on education would have an impact on resources, learning environment, and teaching quality. Singapore’s student-teacher ratio in primary education is significantly lower than that of South Asian countries. For instance, Nepal had 20.3 students for every teacher in 2019. Meanwhile, Singaporean teachers only had around 14.5 students on average as of 2020. Notably, South Asia, together with sub-Saharan Africa, had a much higher illiteracy rate compared to the East Asian and Pacific region in 2022. The importance of literacyThe literacy rate indicates the percentage of people within a population who can read and write. This enables them to identify, understand and interpret materials with various contexts. Ensuring literacy for all pupils is a part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) for quality education. This in turn stimulates economic and societal growth for the future.

The data shows the year-wise and state or union territory-wise literacy and rural and urban literacy, for male, female, and total literacy, in India according to Census in the period between 1999 and 2011.

Note: 1. Literacy rate is defined as the population of literates in the population aged 7 year and above. 2. The 1991 data (Excluding Jammu & Kashmir)and 2001 data (Excludes figures of Paomata, Mao Maran and Pura sub-divisions of Senapati district of Manipur for 2001) refer to Census of India.

National Assessment of Adult Literacy, 2003 (NAAL:2003), is a study that is part of the National Assessment of Adult Literacy program. NAAL:2003 (https://nces.ed.gov/naal/) is a cross-sectional assessment that collected information about English literacy among American adults age 16 and older. The study was conducted using direct assessment from 19,000 adults 16 or older, in their homes and some in prisons from the 50 states and District of Columbia. Households and prison inmates were sampled in 2003. The weighted response rate was 62.1 percent for households and 88.3 percent for prison inmates. Key statistics produced from NAAL:2003 include reading skills, general literacy, relationships, demographics, and background characteristics.

In the past five decades, the global literacy rate among adults has grown from 67 percent in 1976 to 87.36 percent in 2023. In 1976, males had a literacy rate of 76 percent, compared to a rate of 58 percent among females. This difference of over 17 percent in 1976 has fallen to just seven percent in 2020. Although gaps in literacy rates have fallen across all regions in recent decades, significant disparities remain across much of South Asia and Africa, while the difference is below one percent in Europe and the Americas. Reasons for these differences are rooted in economic and cultural differences across the globe. In poorer societies, families with limited means are often more likely to invest in their sons' education, while their daughters take up a more domestic role. Varieties do exist on national levels, however, and female literacy levels can sometimes exceed the male rate even in impoverished nations, such as Lesotho (where the difference was over 17 percent in 2014); nonetheless, these are exceptions to the norm.

Literacy in India has been increasing as more and more people receive a better education, but it is still far from all-encompassing. In 2022, the degree of literacy in India was about 76.32 percent, with the majority of literate Indians being men. It is estimated that the global literacy rate for people aged 15 and above is about 86 percent. How to read a literacy rateIn order to identify potential for intellectual and educational progress, the literacy rate of a country covers the level of education and skills acquired by a country’s inhabitants. Literacy is an important indicator of a country’s economic progress and the standard of living – it shows how many people have access to education. However, the standards to measure literacy cannot be universally applied. Measures to identify and define illiterate and literate inhabitants vary from country to country: In some, illiteracy is equated with no schooling at all, for example. Writings on the wallGlobally speaking, more men are able to read and write than women, and this disparity is also reflected in the literacy rate in India – with scarcity of schools and education in rural areas being one factor, and poverty another. Especially in rural areas, women and girls are often not given proper access to formal education, and even if they are, many drop out. Today, India is already being surpassed in this area by other emerging economies, like Brazil, China, and even by most other countries in the Asia-Pacific region. To catch up, India now has to offer more educational programs to its rural population, not only on how to read and write, but also on traditional gender roles and rights.

Literacy Rate: Tamil Nadu data was reported at 80.100 % in 12-01-2011. This records an increase from the previous number of 73.450 % for 12-01-2001. Literacy Rate: Tamil Nadu data is updated decadal, averaging 58.525 % from Dec 1961 (Median) to 12-01-2011, with 6 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 80.100 % in 12-01-2011 and a record low of 36.390 % in 12-01-1961. Literacy Rate: Tamil Nadu data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Education Sector – Table IN.EDA001: Literacy Rate.

Malaysia Literacy Rate: Youth: % of People Age 15-24 data was reported at 98.419 % in 2010. This records an increase from the previous number of 97.238 % for 2000. Malaysia Literacy Rate: Youth: % of People Age 15-24 data is updated yearly, averaging 96.401 % from Dec 1980 (Median) to 2010, with 4 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 98.419 % in 2010 and a record low of 87.969 % in 1980. Malaysia Literacy Rate: Youth: % of People Age 15-24 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Malaysia – Table MY.World Bank.WDI: Education Statistics. Youth literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15-24 who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

This dataset contains year and gender wise literacy rate in India

Note: This data is available decade wise only from 1951

The statistic displays the main states and union territories in India with the highest number of illiterate people in 2011. In that year, Uttar Pradesh was at the top of the list, with more than 85 million illiterate people, followed by the state of Bihar with over 51 million people.

The highest literacy rates in Nigeria were registered in the southern regions of the country. In the South West, 89 percent of males and 80.6 percent of females were literate as of 2018. Also, the south zones showed the lowest percentage differences between male and female literacy. Female literacy rate in Nigeria is among the highest in West Africa. The highest female literacy rates were registered in Cabo Verde and Ghana, while Nigeria ranked third.

Literacy Rate: Kerala data was reported at 94.000 % in 12-01-2011. This records an increase from the previous number of 90.860 % for 12-01-2001. Literacy Rate: Kerala data is updated decadal, averaging 78.850 % from Dec 1951 (Median) to 12-01-2011, with 7 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 94.000 % in 12-01-2011 and a record low of 47.180 % in 12-01-1951. Literacy Rate: Kerala data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Education Sector – Table IN.EDA001: Literacy Rate.

ObjectiveIndividuals with Limited English Proficiency (LEP), including Spanish-preferred patients, face healthcare challenges due to language barriers. Despite the potential of digital health technologies to improve access and outcomes, there is a “digital divide” with underutilization among vulnerable populations, including Spanish-speaking LEP individuals, highlighting a need for increased understanding and equitable digital health solutions.Materials and methodsA multi-mode, multi-language cross-sectional survey was built based on the Technology Acceptance Model and deployed from a multi-state healthcare practice. Measures included patient-reported comfort level with reading and speaking English, internet and computer access and satisfaction, ability to perform healthcare-related online tasks, and the eHEALS scale of digital health literacy.ResultsA total of 212 Spanish-preferred patients completed the survey (response rate, 212/2,726 = 7.8%), of which 73.6% indicated lack of comfort in reading or writing in English (LEP n = 156). Spanish-speaking individuals with LEP reported higher rates of needing help when learning how to use new technology or devices, reporting difficulty in the evaluation of health information on the internet and being able to differentiate high-quality information from low-quality online health resources, feeling confident in using health information found online to make health decisions, and having lower access to health-related online services than Spanish-speaking individuals without LEP.DiscussionImproving equitable accessibility to digital tools for individuals with LEP seeking healthcare can help to improve their engagement with their providers and promote self-efficacy in their care. Opportunities exist with emerging technologies to develop language-concordant healthcare resources that will improve outcomes for Spanish-preferred patients.

This dataset is intended for researchers, students, and policy makers for reference and mapping purposes, and may be used for village level demographic analysis within basic applications to support graphical overlays and analysis with other spatial data.