Literacy Rates of nations

Melensdad · Sep 18, 2006

I was doing a bit of research and stumbled upon something that I found pretty amazing. In most of the "western" nations, as well as most of the "Asain" nations, the literacy rate of their respective citizens is well over 95% of the population.

A nation with a literacy rate under 90% would have to be considered to have a high rate of literacy based on what I can find.

It came as no surprise to me that the impoverished nations in Africa are the nations that have some of the lowest literacy rates. What literally shocked me were the low rates of some very wealthy nations as well as nations that seem to tout themselves as being part of the cradle of civilization.

Iraq = 40.4%
Ethiopia = 42.7% (a very poor war ravaged nation)
Pakistan = 48.7%
Yemen = 50.2% (a very wealthy oil nation)
Burundi = 51.7% (a very wealthy oil nation)
Egypt = 57.7%
Sudan = 61.1% (a poor war ravaged nation)
Cambodia = 73.6% (poor, war ravaged, Asian nation)
Oman = 75.8 (a very wealth oil nation)
Syria = 76.9% (a moderately wealthy oil nation)
U.A.E. = 77.9% (a very wealthy oil nation)
Saudi Arabia = 78.8% (a very wealthy oil nation)
Iran = 79.4% (a very wealthy oil nation that recently cracked down on education)
Libya = 82.6% (a very wealthy oil nation)
Kuwait = 83.5% (a very wealthy oil nation)

Now to put all this into some sort of perspective, there are more nations OVER 90% literacy than there are UNDER it. Many of those nations over 90% literacy are not wealthy (Vietnam, Zimbabwe, West Bank, Mexico, Guadeloupe, Grenada, Belize)

Of the roughly 90 nations that have literacy rates OVER 95%, the vast majority of them fall into 1 of 3 spheres of influence. Except for a couple of exceptions they are either

former nations of the USSR and had strict communist rule, or
they are westernized nations that generally opposed the USSR, or
they are Asian nations that are westernized.

Av8r3400 · Sep 18, 2006

Bob, this isn't surprising at all. In regard to the low percentage countries, at least.

Education is a major opposition to control. All of these countries are (or recently were) dictatorships. Keeping the people uneducated and scared (by religious zealotry or other means) is the best way to control the masses.

dzalphakilo · Sep 18, 2006

Does the U.S rate include West Virginia?

Hey, I used to live in that state, and still have a "wild, wonderful West Virginia" license plate on my truck. I love the state, I'm only joking

jakki · Sep 18, 2006

Av8r3400 said:
Bob, this isn't surprising at all. In regard to the low percentage countries, at least.

Education is a major opposition to control. All of these countries are (or recently were) dictatorships. Keeping the people uneducated and scared (by religious zealotry or other means) is the best way to control the masses.

The U.S. comes in at a whopping 21st. place at 97.0% literacy, right above Cuba who placed 22nd. at 96.9%.

Worth mentioning too, that the Russian Federation (ex-USSR) checked in at 99.4 %, Czech Republic at 99%, and the Kingdom of Tonga placed 8th. at 98.9 % :confused2:

(per 2005 UN statistics)

Melensdad · Sep 18, 2006

Jakki, the chart I have is not from the UN, but it shows the US at 99%, right behind Canada. FWIW, Cuba was only rated at 97% on my chart, but I also show the Czeck Republic at 99% on my chart just as your chart.

Literacy rate is defined as a % of the population age 15 and older who can read and write at a functional level. That may not be the same standard that the UN uses. My chart also shows literacy rates for Males and Females.

What seems obvious is that money is not the driving force to literacy since many of the wealthy nations have low literacy rates.

In that nations in the middle east the literacy rates for Males is much higher than it is for Females. The Island of Tonga (98.9% overall) is one of the few very high literacy nations where women have a higher literacy rate than men; as overall literacy rates go down closer to 90% there are many nations where women have higher literacy rates than men.

But look at some of the Arab nations (and these are very typical):

Saudi Arabia has an overall rate of 78.8%, men are at 84.7%, women at 70.8%
Syria has an overall rate of 76.9%, men are at 89.7%, women at 64%

I suspect that there are some cultural issues that affect those rates?

However, the U.A.E. seems to be one middle eastern nation that breaks that pattern with an overall rate of 77.9%, with men at only 76.1% and with women at 81.7%

jakki · Sep 18, 2006

B_Skurka said:
Jakki, the chart I have is not from the UN, but it shows the US at 99%, right behind Canada. FWIW, Cuba was only rated at 97% on my chart, but I also show the Czeck Republic at 99% on my chart just as your chart.

Literacy rate is defined as a % of the population age 15 and older who can read and write at a functional level. That may not be the same standard that the UN uses. My chart also shows literacy rates for Males and Females.

What seems obvious is that money is not the driving force to literacy since many of the wealthy nations have low literacy rates.

In that nations in the middle east the literacy rates for Males is much higher than it is for Females. The Island of Tonga (98.9% overall) is one of the few very high literacy nations where women have a higher literacy rate than men; as overall literacy rates go down closer to 90% there are many nations where women have higher literacy rates than men.

But look at some of the Arab nations (and these are very typical):

Saudi Arabia has an overall rate of 78.8%, men are at 84.7%, women at 70.8%

Syria has an overall rate of 76.9%, men are at 89.7%, women at 64%

I suspect that there are some cultural issues that affect those rates?

However, the U.A.E. seems to be one middle eastern nation that breaks that pattern with an overall rate of 77.9%, with men at only 76.1% and with women at 81.7%

Literacy rate= % of the population age 15 and older who can read and write at a functional level

If out of 100 people, 60 can read and write then you have 60% literacy.

If out of those 60=

- 42 are men, then you have 70% of that 60% literacy as being male

and, necessarily

- 18 have to be women or 30% of the 60%

The male/female percentages always have to add up to 100 (the overall literacy rate, whatever it may be) and not average down to a number.

If you do it the way your chart is doing it then you would say:

Oz has an overall rate of 50%, men are at 70%, women at 30%

:confused2:

Or this may very well be one of those rare moments that an air bubble impedes my rational thinking.....

DaveNay · Sep 18, 2006

jakki said:
Or this may very well be one of those rare moments that an air bubble impedes my rational thinking.....

You would need to have some additional information to make the numbers complete. Take the extreme example of a country with 100 citizens, 95 women and 5 men (poor bastards!). If all five men are literate, but only 90 of the women are literate, then you would have 100% male literacy and 94.7% female literacy. What yours and Bobs tables don't tell is what percentage of the population is male and female.

jakki · Sep 18, 2006

DaveNay said:
You would need to have some additional information to make the numbers complete. Take the extreme example of a country with 100 citizens, 95 women and 5 men (poor bastards!). If all five men are literate, but only 90 of the women are literate, then you would have 100% male literacy and 94.7% female literacy. What yours and Bobs tables don't tell is what percentage of the population is male and female.

Exactly...that was it.... :tiphat:

DaveNay · Sep 18, 2006

jakki said:
Exactly...that was it....

Just to be pedantic (in case Gatorboy reads this thread), the "missing" information isn't really missing. It is there and can be calculated if you really wanted to.

jakki · Sep 18, 2006

DaveNay said:
Just to be pedantic (in case Gatorboy reads this thread), the "missing" information isn't really missing. It is there and can be calculated if you really wanted to.

So GB raises the bar for you....I think you should tell him personally...

Junkman · Sep 18, 2006

dzalphakilo said:
Does the U.S rate include West Virginia?

Hey, I used to live in that state, and still have a "wild, wonderful West Virginia" license plate on my truck. I love the state, I'm only joking

Your joke isn't going to win you any more friends at ForumsForums, but it just might cause you to loose even more .......

Melensdad · Sep 18, 2006

What surprises me is that nobody pointed out the fact that Muslim dominated nations have some of the lowest literacy rates on the planet. Even very wealthy Muslim nations have low literacy rates compared to reasonably poor western nations. Av8r came close with his statement that many of the nations with lower literacy rates are/were dictatorships, but that misses out on the fact that Cuba is very close to the literacy of the free western nations and the fact that many of the former nations that made up the USSR also have high literacy rates.

The lowest literacy rates appear to be in Africa and the Middle East. The absolute lowest rates exist in the most undeveloped nations, but those rare nations aside, there is a large block of nations with low literacy rates and those nations are dominated by the Muslim religion.

Is there a connection between the Muslim culture or the Muslim religion and the supression of education?

Mexico, for example, has a far higher literacy rate than Saudi Arabia, yet nobody would suggest that the standard of living in Mexico is high, nor would they suggest that the school system of Mexico has access to the money that the school system of Saudi Arabia.

dzalphakilo · Sep 18, 2006

Junk, so well said "Mr. Moderator"

Perhaps if I would of been kicked off somewhere else, I could be a moderator

Oh wait... now, since you are a moderator, should I be scared?

My suggestion, if you have an issue to address with me and or my post, PM me, no reason for public display.

What was the difference between my "West Virginia" joke and tcri (sp?) "redneck" joke with the gorilla in the joke forum? Or any other redneck joke for that matter in that forum.

Funny, I remember the FIRST time you "went off" on one of my comments, very interesting.

Apologies Bob for getting off the subject.

daedong · Sep 18, 2006

There would be a plethora of reasons why some countries have lower levels of literacy than others. Education is primarily driven by the state, if states have the will to educate its people, it can and will. Generally states can control the view of its people, hence create or not create mindsets about the advantages of having a literate population. There maybe a deliberate motivation by Muslim states to have less literacy.

HGM · Sep 19, 2006

B_Skurka said:
What surprises me is that nobody pointed out the fact that Muslim dominated nations have some of the lowest literacy rates on the planet. Even very wealthy Muslim nations have low literacy rates compared to reasonably poor western nations. Av8r came close with his statement that many of the nations with lower literacy rates are/were dictatorships, but that misses out on the fact that Cuba is very close to the literacy of the free western nations and the fact that many of the former nations that made up the USSR also have high literacy rates.

The lowest literacy rates appear to be in Africa and the Middle East. The absolute lowest rates exist in the most undeveloped nations, but those rare nations aside, there is a large block of nations with low literacy rates and those nations are dominated by the Muslim religion.

Is there a connection between the Muslim culture or the Muslim religion and the supression of education?

Mexico, for example, has a far higher literacy rate than Saudi Arabia, yet nobody would suggest that the standard of living in Mexico is high, nor would they suggest that the school system of Mexico has access to the money that the school system of Saudi Arabia.

Bob, actually, I dont think anyone missed it... It just seemed redundant(to me), when you look at other threads where we have hashed it out, trying to explain the type of individuals we are dealing with in the war.. Or maybe the one about the Saudi who abused his hosekeeper.. I lived there, its really no surprise to me..Its typical of the area... The plain reason for the difference between the Middle East and Spanish disent countries is the level of respect for women in general and their desire to let allah control their lives.. Why waste your time educating yourself when all you have to do is kill infidels to reach your ultimate goal?? I think manyof us have tried to make the point in the past, but your numbers may make it that much clearer to see..

Dutch-NJ · Sep 19, 2006

jakki said:
Literacy rate= % of the population age 15 and older who can read and write at a functional level

If out of 100 people, 60 can read and write then you have 60% literacy.

............ BUT, Literacy does not address the ability to think or comprehend.

Just read some of Junkman's posts as an example of what I mean.

Literacy Rates of nations

Melensdad

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Av8r3400

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dzalphakilo

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jakki

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Melensdad

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jakki

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DaveNay

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jakki

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DaveNay

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jakki

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Junkman

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Melensdad

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dzalphakilo

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daedong

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HGM

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Dutch-NJ

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