

Visualizing Literacy Rates Around the World


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An interesting correlation with regions experiencing ongoing, apparently endless, conflicts:

Visualizing Literacy Rates Around the World​

For many people around the world, the ability to read is an essential tool that’s needed for day-to-day life. Yet, despite its importance, approximately 773 million people across the globe do not have access to this basic, often life-saving skill. When it comes to literacy rates, which countries are leading the way, and which ones are lagging behind?

This graphic by Eleonora Nazander visualizes literacy rates in over 150+ countries and provides a breakdown of male versus female literacy rates in each country, using data from UNESCO.



Army.ca Veteran
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That's pretty neat, but remember seeing something talking about the difference between basic literacy and effectively literate. It was a pretty low bar, but the difference was that someone with basic literacy skills could read a road sign or restaurant menu (for example) while someone who was effectively literate could read a newspaper article (10th-ish grade level) and understand it enough to answer questions and have a discussion on it.

The reason it sticks in my mind is because we were in NS with a toddler at the time, and the effective literacy rate in a Halifax high school graduate was reported to be somewhere in the low 80%. so made a posting to the cube farm in Ottawa kind of appealing.