In the past five decades, the global literacy rate among adults has grown from 67 percent in 1976 to 87.01 percent in 2022. 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.
Global adult literacy rate aged 15 years and older from 1976 to 2022 by gender
Characteristic
Overall
Male
Female
2022
87.01
90.31
83.78
2021
86.85
90.22
83.51
2020
86.71
90.11
83.33
2019
86.49
89.98
83.02
2018
86.34
89.91
82.81
2017
86.29
89.93
82.66
2016
86.06
89.8
82.35
2015
85.6
89.44
81.79
2014
85.43
89.27
81.52
2013
84.86
88.9
80.84
2012
84.76
88.86
80.7
2011
84.32
88.45
80.25
2010
84.16
88.39
79.96
2009
83.51
88.09
78.99
2008
83.26
87.92
78.62
2007
82.93
87.67
78.23
2006
82.46
87.37
77.8
2005
82.38
87.51
77.31
2004
82.44
87.52
77.42
2003
82.07
87.22
76.97
2002
81.57
86.77
76.43
2001
81.2
86.43
76.04
2000
80.87
86.2
75.61
1999
80.77
86.16
75.43
1998
80.43
85.92
75.01
1997
79.25
84.71
73.85
1996
77.26
83.51
71.07
1995
76.87
83.26
70.56
1994
76.46
82.97
70.04
1993
76.06
82.67
69.53
1992
75.65
82.3
69.08
1991
75.2
81.83
68.62
1990
74.61
81.34
67.9
1989
74.3
81.26
67.43
1988
73.77
80.87
66.76
1987
72.05
79.52
64.67
1986
71.36
78.96
63.84
1985
70.8
78.55
63.14
1984
70.21
78.12
62.38
1983
69.55
77.65
61.54
1982
68.85
77.04
60.67
1981
68.29
76.67
59.99
1980
67.58
76.19
59.08
1979
67.16
75.88
58.51
1978
66.5
75.38
57.7
1977
65.88
74.9
56.93
1976
65.59
74.64
56.59
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World Bank. (September 19, 2024). Global adult literacy rate aged 15 years and older from 1976 to 2022 by gender [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved October 08, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/997360/global-adult-and-youth-literacy/
World Bank. "Global adult literacy rate aged 15 years and older from 1976 to 2022 by gender." Chart. September 19, 2024. Statista. Accessed October 08, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/997360/global-adult-and-youth-literacy/
World Bank. (2024). Global adult literacy rate aged 15 years and older from 1976 to 2022 by gender. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: October 08, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/997360/global-adult-and-youth-literacy/
World Bank. "Global Adult Literacy Rate Aged 15 Years and Older from 1976 to 2022 by Gender." Statista, Statista Inc., 19 Sep 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/997360/global-adult-and-youth-literacy/
World Bank, Global adult literacy rate aged 15 years and older from 1976 to 2022 by gender Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/997360/global-adult-and-youth-literacy/ (last visited October 08, 2024)
Global adult literacy rate aged 15 years and older from 1976 to 2022 by gender [Graph], World Bank, September 19, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/997360/global-adult-and-youth-literacy/