About Literacy

According to UNESCO, in the world today there are about 1 billion non-literate adults:

This 1 billion is approximately 26 percent of the world's adult population.
Women make up two-thirds of all non-literates.
98 percent of all non-literates live in developing countries.
In the least developed countries, the overall illiteracy rate is 49 percent.
52 percent of all non-literates live in India and China.
Africa as a continent has a literacy rate of less than 60 percent.
In Sub-Saharan Africa since 1980, primary school enrollment has declined, going from 58 percent to 50 percent.
In all developing countries, the percentage of children aged 6-11 not attending school is 15 percent. In the least developed countries, it is 45 percent. (UNESCO 1998)

In the world today, the number of people speaking lesser-known languages is 1.25 billion—that is 20 percent of the world's population:

The average adult literacy rate among that population is an estimated 31 percent.
The average adult literacy rate in their mother tongue among speakers of lesser-known languages is an estimated 12 percent.
26 countries have more than 90 percent of the total national population speaking lesser-known languages. The average literacy rate in these countries is 63 percent.
21 countries have less than 1 percent of the total national population speaking lesser-known languages. The average literacy rate in these countries is 93 percent.
Of the world's non-literate population, an estimated 476 million are speakers of lesser-known languages. In other words, approximately 50 percent of all non-literates are minority language speakers.

There is a correlation between income and illiteracy:

Per capita income in countries with a literacy rate less than 55 percent averages about $600
Per capita income in countries with a literacy rate between 55 and 84 percent is $2,400
Per capita income in countries with a literacy rate between 85 and 95 percent is $3,700
Per capita income in countries with a literacy rate above 96 percent is $12,600

Learn more about Wycliffe's literacy specialists.

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