Being able to read and write is something most of us take for granted. However, these are skills we are not born with. From a young age we learn how to read and write in school so that we can be a functioning member of society. Unfortunately, this is not a privilege that everyone in the world gets. Keep on reading and discover 20 of the most illiterate countries in the world!
These are 20 of the most illiterate countries in the world!
Even though the global literacy rates are up to 87%, which is very good, there are places where only one in four adults can read or write. We have listed 12 countries in the world with a literacy rate of less than 50%, so less than half the population knows how to read or write! (Brielle Reed, World Atlas, 2024)
- Chad: The country with the worst literacy rate in the entire world at 27.28%
- Mali: 30.76%
- Burkina Faso: 34.49%
- South Sudan: 34.52%
- Afghanistan: 37.27%
- Central African Republic: 37.49%
- Niger: 38.10%
- Somalia: 41.02%
- Guinnea 45.33%
- Benin: 47.10%
- Liberia: 48.30%
- Sierra Leone: 48.64%
From the 13th most illiterate countries more than 50% of the people can read and write, however the numbers are still shocking. However, it is only the 20th country on the list that reaches a literacy rate of more than 60%. Check them out below!
- Ethopia: 51.77%
- Guinnea-Bissau: 53.90%
- Yemen: 54.10%
- Senegal: 57.67%
- Pakistan: 58.00%
- Gambia: 58.67%
- Mozambique: 59.78%
- Sudan: 60.70%
What is the main cause of Illiteracy?
When you look at this list and if you recognize some of the countries, you might have figured out the reason for the literacy rates. Most of these countries are in the top 20 of the world’s poorest countries. This has a giant impact on the available education for younger people and the quality of the education, if there is any. However, poverty is not the only reason why these countries are illiterate; other reasons are the political situation of the country and the general safety of the people. Some
