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8 Facts on India’s Literacy Problem

Indian women account for one of every four illiterate adults worldwide.

November 30, 2014

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1. As of 2012, 781 million adults (ages 15 and older) worldwide were considered to be illiterate.

2. This means they lack the ability to read or write a simple sentence in their native language.

3. Women account for almost two-thirds (63.5%, or 496 million) of illiterate adults worldwide.

4. South Asia has the largest concentration of overall illiteracy — accounting for 410 million, or nearly half, of the total worldwide.

5. The region with the next highest number of illiterate adults is Sub-Saharan Africa, with about 194 million illiterate adults, or 21% of the world total.

6. With 287 million illiterate adults, India accounts for 36.7% of the world’s illiterate population — by far the largest share of any nation.

7. There are 187 million Indian women who are illiterate.

The Upshot Put another way, Indian women account for 38% of the world’s illiterate females — and 24% of the world’s entire illiterate population.

Data source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics

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Takeaways

As of 2012, 781 million adults (ages 15 and older) worldwide were considered to be illiterate.

Women account for almost two-thirds (63.5%, or 496 million) of illiterate adults worldwide.

South Asia has the largest concentration of illiteracy -- accounting for nearly half of the total worldwide.

There are 187 million Indian women who are illiterate.