Africa hosts eight out of the 10 countries with the lowest literacy rate

Literacy is an individual’s ability to read, write and calculate in order to function effectively in a community. In 2018, about 750 million adults and 100 million youth globally were non-literate and South Sudan, Niger, and Mali were the countries with the lowest literacy rates in the world that year. This article defines literacy, highlights the importance of literacy for sustainable development, and presents the most illiterate countries.

Literacy and sustainable development

The concept of literacy is defined as an individual’s ability to read, write, speak, and effectively communicate meaning in all aspects of daily living. Moreover, literacy also includes numeracy or the ability to use simple mathematical operations in a wide range of life situations. In this context, the literacy rate represents the percentage of the population that can read, write, speak and perform basic mathematical operations related to their everyday life.

Education is an important pillar for the world’s objective to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The UN has dedicated SDG #4 for education which aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”. Within this framework, target 4.6 specifically highlights the importance of “universal literacy and numeracy” and sets the objective of ensuring that “by 2030, all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men, and women, achieve literacy and numeracy”.

As of 2018, globally about 750 million adults (aged 15 years and older) and 100 million youths (aged 15-24 years) were considered non-literate.

It is worth mentioning that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted efforts to ensure the achievement of SDG #4 by 2030. The UN has stated that the pandemic crisis has wiped out 20 years of education gains forcing an additional 101 million children to fall below the minimum proficiency levels in 2020.

See also: What is global literacy and why it is important for the modern world?

States with the lowest literacy rates *

South Sudan (34.5%) is a landlocked country in East/Central Africa with a population of 11.19 million people of whom only 35% or 3.9 million are currently literate

Niger (35.5%) lies in Western Africa and is a landlocked state with a population of 24.21 million people out of which only 35.5 % or 8.6 million are literate

Mali (36%) with a population of 20.25 million people, this West African state has only 36% or 7.3 million people with adequate levels of literacy

Central African Republic (38%) has a population of 4.83 million people out of which 38% or 1.8 million people are literate

Burkina Faso (41.5%) is a landlocked country in West Africa with a population of 20.9 million people. As of 2018, some 41.5% or 8.7 million people had achieved adequate levels of literacy

Afghanistan (42.5%) is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and South Asia with a population of 38.93 million people. As of 2018, about 42.5% of the population, or 16.5 million people were considered to be literate. The ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan is already limiting access to quality learning, especially for girls and women

Benin (42.5%)is another state on the West of the African continent which features in the list of the top 10 most illiterate countries. With a population of 12.12 million people, only about 42.5% or 5.2 million people are literate

Sierra Leone (43.5%) is a country in West Africa with a population of 7.98 million people. In 2018, about 43.5% of the population, or 3.5 million people were considered to have adequate levels of literacy necessary to effectively communicate meaning in all aspects of daily living

Côte d’Ivoire (47%) is a country located on the south coast of West Africa that has a population of 26.38 million people, out of which almost half (47%) or 12.4 million people are literate

Comoros (59%) is an island country in the Indian Ocean that has a population of about 870,000 people. Based on UNICEF data for 2018, about 59% or 513,000 people living in Comoros were literate.

* Based on the latest available data by UNICEF for adult population (≥ 15 years). Some countries included in the list lack any value. The reference year is 2018.

Literacy is an important indicator, reflecting the progress of education around the world. In order to address poverty, states are expected to increase literacy rates and thus empower citizens to have more opportunities. In 2018, about 750 million adults and 100 million youth globally were non-literate according to the United Nation’s data. Of the top 10 countries with the lowest literacy rates, eight are situated on the African continent.

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