The Ledger · Entry 04
Most of the world can now read and write
Share of adults worldwide able to read and write
Data: Our World in Data, based on UNESCO and Buringh & van Zanden (2009)
Two centuries ago, reading was a skill of a small minority. Then near-universal schooling spread country by country, and each generation entered adulthood more literate than the one before it.
The key rows
The remaining gap is concentrated among older adults and in the poorest regions. But most people alive today can read, which was never true before.
Asked often
What is the global literacy rate?
About 87.7% of adults worldwide could read and write as of the latest estimate, up from around 12% two centuries ago.
How has literacy changed over time?
It rose from roughly 12% of adults in 1820 to 87.7% in the most recent year, as near-universal schooling spread across the world.
The world also got better today.
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