neither read nor write. That’s one out of every ten people, with more than half of that

figure comprised by women. Although literacy has always been vital within most societies,

the modern focus on technology over manual labor has left few options available to those

who never learned to read or write. So, what are the world’s most illiterate countries?

Well, first of all, it’s important to note that not all illiteracy is the same. Some

people are unable to read or write at all, in any language. Others are able to construct

and read simple sentences, but are unable to deal with everyday literacy beyond a basic,

limited vocabulary. This is known as “functional illiteracy," and is considerably more prevalent.

In the United States alone, 30 million adults are functionally illiterate, meaning they

cannot read above the level of a 10-year-old. Another 60 million have below-average literacy

rates, and are unable to understand a basic newspaper. And there are severe correlations

between illiteracy and success. The Department of Justice notes that "The link between academic

failure and delinquency, violence, and crime is welded to reading failure." Nearly three

quarters of US prisoners are functionally illiterate.

But around the world, true illiteracy is an endemic problem. 75% of illiterate adults

can be found in just ten countries. However, within those large countries, illiterates

make up a smaller percentage than in countries with more severe, generational poverty. In

at least a dozen countries, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa, more than half of the population is

truly illiterate. South Sudan is currently the most illiterate country in the world,

with barely one in four able to read at all. In fact, nearly three-quarters of South Sudanese

children have never even stepped foot in a classroom. Of those that do attend primary

school, fewer than 10 percent finish.

Literacy is vital to a country’s success, primarily because of its effect on human capital,

or how much economic output a person can achieve. Those who are illiterate are severely disadvantaged.

Illiterate people are much harder to train for jobs and they have more difficulty finding

health care options and social services. On the other hand, nations with high literacy

rates have been found to directly correlate with “modernization, development, and economic

growth.”

But for many, illiteracy is a self perpetuating cycle. In impoverished countries, residents

must focus the majority of their attention on survival, and how to feed, shelter, and

clothe themselves and their families. Although education is a vital tool few have the available

resources, ability, or time to learn how to read and write. Countries with low literacy

rates, like Somalia or Afghanistan, are often underdeveloped, with extremely high maternal

mortality rates. And across the board, women are further disenfranchised, with two thirds

of illiterate adults around the world comprised of women.

Although literacy rates are rising overall, in part thanks to initiatives like UNESCO’s

Literacy Initiative for Empowerment, education is still scarce in areas like south and west

Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Often times education is seen as a threat to totalitarian governments, leading to brain

drain, executions of intellectuals, and book burnings. Check out this Seeker Daily video

to learn about the Nazi’s Book Burning raids. Thanks for watching TestTube, make sure to

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