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Data Starter: World literacy and illiteracy 2024

Elizabeth Veal

8th September 2026

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Are literacy rates rising in the world?

Using this Our World in Data, do these data calculation questions:

  1. Calculate the percentage increase in the share of adults who are literate between 1950 and 2024.
  2. How far back in time must you go to find the share of literacy in adults is roughly the same as the share of adults who are illiterate in 2024?

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Elizabeth Veal

Liz has taught Economics for over 25 years, including several years as Head of Economics at leading schools.

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