The CIA World Factbook Every edition, 1990 to 2024 World
Literacy World, in 28 editions.
The entry for World published Literacy in 28 editions of 36, from 1990 to 2024. The text changed in 15 editions. Each is shown as published. Literacy in every entry.
- editions changed the text
- 15
- the first edition with it
- 1990
- the latest edition with it
- 2024
Published as “Literacy” (1990 to 2024).
field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe edition shownChoose an edition on the strip beside the text, or step through them with the arrows. Mark changes compares it with the edition before: the marks are ours, words added and words removed.
2024 edition
Same as 2023- 77% men; 66% women (1980)
77% men; 66% women (1980)
The same text in 1991 and 1992.
- 74% (male 81%, female 67%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
77% men; 66% women (1980) 74% (male 81%, female 67%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
- age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
74% (male 81%, female 67%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
combined:
74%
male:
81%
female:
67%
age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.);
age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) est.);
combined:
74%
male:
81%
female:
67%
The entry for World did not include Literacy.
The same text in 3 editions, 2002 to 2004.
definition: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.);
total population: 77%
male: 83%
female: 71% (1995 est.)
The same text in 4 editions, 2005 to 2008.
note: over two-thirds of the world's 785 million illiterate adults are found in only eight countries (India, China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Egypt); of all the illiterate adults in the world, two-thirds are women; extremely low literacy rates are concentrated in three regions, South and West Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Arab states, where around one-third of the men and half of all women are illiterate (2005 est.)
Rewritten: too little of the 2004 text remains to mark the changes.
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 82%
male: 87%
female: 77%
note: over two-thirds of the world's 785 million illiterate adults are found in only eight countries (India, China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Egypt); of all the illiterate adults in the world, two-thirds are women; extremely low literacy rates are concentrated in three regions, South and West Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Arab states, where around one-third of the men and half of all women are illiterate (2005 est.)
The same text in 2009 and 2010.
note: over two-thirds of the world's 785 million illiterate adults are found in only eight countries (Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Pakistan); of all the illiterate adults in the world, two-thirds are women; extremely low literacy rates are concentrated in three regions, the Arab states, South and West Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa, where around one-third of the men and half of all women are illiterate (2005 est.)
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
82%
male:
87%
female:
77%
note:
over two-thirds of the world's 785 million illiterate adults are found in only eight countries (India, (Bangladesh, China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nigeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Egypt); Pakistan); of all the illiterate adults in the world, two-thirds are women; extremely low literacy rates are concentrated in three regions, the Arab states, South and West Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Arab states, where around one-third of the men and half of all women are illiterate (2005 est.)
note: over two-thirds of the world's 793 million illiterate adults are found in only eight countries (Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Pakistan); of all the illiterate adults in the world, two-thirds are women; extremely low literacy rates are concentrated in three regions, the Arab states, South and West Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa, where around one-third of the men and half of all women are illiterate (2005-09 est.)
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population:82% 83.7%
male:87% 88.3%
female:77% 79.2%
note:
over two-thirds of the world's 785 793 million illiterate adults are found in only eight countries (Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Pakistan); of all the illiterate adults in the world, two-thirds are women; extremely low literacy rates are concentrated in three regions, the Arab states, South and West Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa, where around one-third of the men and half of all women are illiterate (2005 (2005-09 est.)
note: over two-thirds of the world's 793 million illiterate adults are found in only eight countries (Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Pakistan); of all the illiterate adults in the world, two-thirds are women; extremely low literacy rates are concentrated in three regions, the Arab states, South and West Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa, where around one-third of the men and half of all women are illiterate (2005 est.)
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
83.7%
male:
88.3%
female:
79.2%
note:
over two-thirds of the world's 793 million illiterate adults are found in only eight countries (Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Pakistan); of all the illiterate adults in the world, two-thirds are women; extremely low literacy rates are concentrated in three regions, the Arab states, South and West Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa, where around one-third of the men and half of all women are illiterate (2005-09 (2005 est.)
The same text in 2013 and 2014.
note: almost three-quarters of the world's 775 million illiterate adults are found in only ten countries (in descending order: India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, Brazil, Indonesia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo); of all the illiterate adults in the world, two-thirds are women; extremely low literacy rates are concentrated in South and West Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa (2010 est.)
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population:83.7% 84.1%
male:88.3% 88.6%
female:79.2% 79.7%
note:over two-thirds almost three-quarters of the world's 793 775 million illiterate adults are found in only eight ten countries (Bangladesh, (in descending order: India, China, Egypt, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Ethiopia, India, Egypt, Brazil, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Pakistan); the Democratic Republic of the Congo); of all the illiterate adults in the world, two-thirds are women; extremely low literacy rates are concentrated in three regions, the Arab states, South and West Asia, Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, where around one-third of the men and half of all women are illiterate (2005 Africa (2010 est.)
The same text in 2015 and 2016.
note: more than three-quarters of the world's 781 million illiterate adults are found in South and West Asia and sub-Saharan Africa; of all the illiterate adults in the world, almost two-thirds are women (2012)
definition:age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.1%
84.1%
male: 89.9%
88.6%
female: 82.2% (2015 est.)
79.7%
note: more than three-quarters of the world's
almost775 781 million illiterate adults are found in only ten countries (in descending order: India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, Brazil, Indonesia, South and the Democratic Republic of the Congo); West Asia and sub-Saharan Africa; of all the illiterate adults in the world, almost two-thirds are women; extremely low literacy rates are concentrated in South and West Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa (2010 est.) women (2012)
note: more than three-quarters of the world's 758 million illiterate adults are found in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa; of all the illiterate adults in the world, almost two-thirds are women (2014)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.1% 86.2%
male: 89.9% 89.8%
female: 82.2% (2015 82.6% (2016 est.)
note: more than three-quarters of the world's 781 758 million illiterate adults are found in South and West Asia and sub-Saharan Africa; of all the illiterate adults in the world, almost two-thirds are women (2012) (2014)
The same text in 2018 and 2019.
note: more than three-quarters of the world's 750 million illiterate adults are found in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa; of all the illiterate adults in the world, almost two-thirds are women (2016)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.2%
male: 89.8%
female: 82.6% (2016 est.)
note: more than three-quarters of the world's 758 750 million illiterate adults are found in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa; of all the illiterate adults in the world, almost two-thirds are women (2014) (2016)
note: more than three-quarters of the world's 750 million illiterate adults are found in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa; of all the illiterate adults in the world, almost two-thirds are women (2016)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.2% 86.3%
male: 89.8%
female: 82.6% 82.8% (2016 est.) (2018)
note: more than three-quarters of the world's 750 million illiterate adults are found in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa; of all the illiterate adults in the world, almost two-thirds are women (2016)
note: more than three-quarters of the world's 750 million illiterate adults are found in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa; of all the illiterate adults in the world, almost two-thirds are women (2016)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.3% 86.7%
male: 89.8% 90.1%
female: 82.8% (2016 est.) (2018) 83.3% (2020)
note: more than three-quarters of the world's 750 million illiterate adults are found in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa; of all the illiterate adults in the world, almost two-thirds are women (2016)
The same text in 3 editions, 2022 to 2024.
note: more than three quarters of the world's 750 million illiterate adults are found in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa; of all the illiterate adults in the world, almost two thirds are women (2016)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.7%
male: 90.1%
female: 83.3% (2020)
note: more than three-quarters three quarters of the world's 750 million illiterate adults are found in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa; of all the illiterate adults in the world, almost two-thirds two thirds are women (2016)
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Cite this page
Central Intelligence Agency. “World: Literacy.” The World Factbook, 1990–2024 editions. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/world/literacy.