This chart compares adult literacy rates across world regions between 1990 and 2016, illustrating the scale of progress made over 26 years based on UNESCO data.
About: Adult Literacy Rate Progress by Region: 1990 vs 2016
Overview of the data behind this chartAI Insight
Southern Asia made the most dramatic improvement in adult literacy between 1990 and 2016, rising from 46% to 72% - a gain of 26 percentage points. Northern Africa and Western Asia increased by 17 points (64% to 81%), while Eastern and South-Eastern Asia grew from 82% to 96%. Sub-Saharan Africa, despite improving from 52% to 65%, still has the lowest regional adult literacy rate in 2016. Latin America and the Caribbean already had a high base in 1990 at 85%, reaching 94% by 2016. Regions with the lowest starting points made proportionally larger gains, reflecting expanded school access, though significant gaps remain in Africa and Southern Asia.
Key Findings
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Adult Literacy Rate Progress by Region: 1990 vs 2016
Data Insights
Numbers, trends & sources behind this chartCategory Rankings
Adult Literacy Rate (%) · All Time| # | Category | All Time |
|---|---|---|
| 🥇 | Eastern and South-Eastern Asia - 2016 | 96 |
| 🥈 | Latin America and the Caribbean - 2016 | 94 |
| 🥉 | Latin America and the Caribbean - 1990 | 85 |
| 4 | Eastern and South-Eastern Asia - 1990 | 82 |
| 5 | Northern Africa and Western Asia - 2016 | 81 |
| 6 | Southern Asia - 2016 | 72 |
| 7 | Sub-Saharan Africa - 2016 | 65 |
| 8 | Northern Africa and Western Asia - 1990 | 64 |
| 9 | Sub-Saharan Africa - 1990 | 52 |
| 10 | Southern Asia - 1990 | 46 |
What This Data Shows
Auto-generated trend summaries per categoryFull Data Table
10 records across 1 yearData Sources & References
All external sources cited in this datasetRelated Charts
Youth Literacy Rate and 50-Year Progress by Region and Sex (2016) Related Chart
Youth vs Elderly Literacy Rate by Region (2016) Related Chart
Share of Global Illiterate Population Living in Each Region (2016) Related Chart
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