The profile of worldwide literacy

The following graph is based on UNESCO data and gives a percentile distribution of the world's countries in terms of literacy rates.

According to UNESCO's data (probably based on inflated estimates in some cases), the pattern of worldwide literacy--on a country-by-country basis--is as seen in the above graph.

Note the heavy preponderance of nations in the 75-100 percentile. Sixty percent of all countries fall into this category.

A graph of this sort obscures the fact that a small number of very populous nations might be in the lesser categories while a large number of small nations could be in the highest category. Both of are true to a certain extent.

Of special interest is the contrast in profile between the worldwide literacy profile and the profile of literacy among minority peoples. On a purely statistical basis, the profiles should be very similar. However, a comparison of the graph in this module with those in the module on the profile of literacy among ethnic minority peoples shows that this is not the case. The literacy profile for minority peoples is very heavily skewed towards the low end (low literacy rates).

• Fact module: The profile of worldwide literacy
• In overview module: General literacy statistics, by Stephen L. Walter
• In overview module: The big picture in literacy, by Stephen L. Walter
• In modular book: Prepare for a literacy program, by Stephen L. Walter, Mary Morgan, and Leah B. Walter
• In bookshelf: Literacy

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 4.0, published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 1999. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 1 October 1999

© 1999 SIL International