What Percentage of Every Country Can Read and Write?

Can you imagine what life would be like if you could not read or write? This intriguing chart provided by USCareerInstitute.edu explores world countries with the highest and lowest literacy rates. Check it out:

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What is literacy? Here is how the National Literacy Trust describes it: “Literacy is the ability to read, write, speak, and listen in a way that lets us communicate effectively and make sense of the world.” The global literacy rate is at 86.81%, but there over a dozen countries that under a 50% literacy rate. The United States has a literacy rate of 99%, which is actually the lowest among the top countries! There are nine countries that boast an impressive 100% literacy rate: Andorra, Finland, Greenland, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Norway, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and North Korea. North Korea’s 100% ranking is suspicious, although the data comes directly from the CIA. Do you believe it?

If you want to foster literacy in your own children, here are some quick tips:

1. Start reading to your children at a young age. Incorporating reading into a child’s bedtime routine offers not only quality time together but also plants the seeds for a love of reading and learning.
2. Begin by practicing sight words. These are words that are easy to read without having to sound out the letters. This is helpful for building vocabulary and phonemic awareness.
3. Encourage children to choose their own books, even if they are just going by the pictures. This cultivates investment in reading time. Learning is easier when it is fun and children feel heard!