Reaching the marginalized: EFA global monitoring report, 2010; 2010

PROGRESS TOWARDS THE EFA GOALSYouth and adult literacynumeracy skills, and thereby the development ofactive citizenship, improved health and livelihoodsand gender equality’ (Global Campaign forEducation and ActionAid International, 2005, p.13).A combination of these two broad definitionscaptures the reality of illiteracy as a conditionthat denies people opportunity.The condition affects much of the world’s youthand adult population, especially women indeveloping countries. While all regions areaffected, a relatively small group of countrieswith large populations dominates the globalilliteracy headcount.The illiteracy scourge continuesAn estimated 759 million adults – around 16%of the world’s population aged 15 and over – lackthe basic reading, writing and numeracy skillsneeded in everyday life (Table 2.6). More than halflive in South and West Asia, and another one-fifthin sub-Saharan Africa. Reflecting the legacy ofgender disparity in education, almost two in everythree adult illiterates are female (see annex,Statistical Table 2).Measured in aggregate terms, adult illiteratesare heavily concentrated in a small group of largepopulationcountries (Figure 2.29). Just twentycountries account for around 80% of global illiterates,with Bangladesh, China, India and Pakistan makingup over half the total. The data in this sectionhighlight the concentration of illiteracy in developingcountries. This should not deflect attention fromthe serious problems in rich countries, where largepockets of illiteracy contribute to wider patternsof social and economic marginalization (Box 2.19).Aggregate figures mask differences in theincidence of illiteracy. Both South and West Asia,and sub-Saharan Africa have high illiteracy rates,with more than one in three adults affected in bothregions (Table 2.6). In sub-Saharan Africa, twelvecountries have illiteracy rates in excess of 50%;among these, in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali andthe Niger, more than 70% of the adult populationis illiterate (Figure 2.30). In the Arab States, theproportion is nearly one-third. Gender disparities area major contributor to the high adult illiteracy ratesin all three regions (see annex, Statistical Table 2).For instance:Table 2.6: Adult (15 and over) illiteracy rates and numbers,by region, 2000–2007 1WorldIlliteracyrates(%) 2 Illiterates(millions)16 759Figure 2.29: Adult illiteracy is heavily concentratedin a small group of large-population countriesAdult (15 and over) illiterates (millions), top ten countriesRest of the world, 218Developing countriesDeveloped countriesCountries in transitionSub-Saharan AfricaArab StatesCentral AsiaEast Asia and the PacificEast AsiaPacificSouth and West AsiaLatin America and the CaribbeanCaribbeanLatin AmericaNorth America and Western EuropeCentral and Eastern Europe20 7520.7 50.6 138 15329 581 0.77 1087 1067 236 3919 3625 39 330.6 42 8Morocco, 10Indonesia, 13Brazil, 14Egypt, 17Nigeria, 23Ethiopia, 27Pakistan, 47Bangladesh, 49China, 71India, 270About 759 millionadults lack thebasic reading,writing andnumeracy skillsneeded ineveryday lifeNotes: The population used to generate the number of illiterates is from the United Nations Population Division estimates (2006 revision).For countries with national observed literacy data, the population used corresponds to the year of the census or survey.1. Data are for the most recent year available during the period specified. See the web version of the introduction to the statistical tables for a broaderexplanation of national literacy definitions, assessment methods, and sources and years of data.2. The illiteracy rate is calculated as 100 minus the literacy rate.Source: Annex, Statistical Table 2.95