An African country has been revealed as the country with the lowest literacy rate, with just over one in four people being literate.
According to World of Statistics on Twitter, Chad has the lowest literacy rate in the world, with only 27 percent of people knowing how to read and write.
The data was collated by the World Bank in 2023 to reflect the percentage of adults aged 15 and older who can both read and write.
Chad’s staggering figure reflects the country’s challenges, which are not solely educational but also influenced by its geographic and political situation.
According to Education Cannot Wait, a global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises, Chad has a low literacy rate due to some of the pressures it faces, including the arrival of refugees from neighbouring crises, climate change, poverty, hunger, and instability.
They said: “While education is a priority in Chad, the education system has been stretched as the country received refugees from neighbouring countries in crises.
“The impacts of climate change, poverty, hunger, and instability also add to the pressure.
“Both host community and refugee children and adolescents are at risk, and the overall literacy rate and opportunities to continue education into secondary school remain low.”
Other countries with the lowest literacy rates are as follows:
- Chad 27.3%
- Mali 30.8%
- Burkina Faso 34.5%
- South Sudan 34.5%
- Afghanistan 37.3%
- Central African Republic 37.5%
- Niger 38.1%
- Somalia 41%
- Guinea 45.3%
- Benin 47.1%
Surprisingly, in stark contrast, countries like Russia, Ukraine, and Poland boast a 100% literacy rate.
These nations have consistently invested in robust education systems, ensuring universal access to reading and writing skills for all citizens, regardless of economic or social conditions.
