The provided bar chart compares the proportion of illiteracy by region and gender across six different parts of the world in 2023. Overall, illiteracy rates were the highest in South Asia, Arab nations, and Sub-Saharan Africa, while the opposite was observed in developed countries. Notably, women’s illiteracy percentage was the highest in most regions.
As observed from the illustration, the inability to read and write among men and women in developed countries was minimal, at only 1% and 2%, respectively. In Latin America/Caribbean, the percentage of illiterate individuals was higher, at about 10% for men and 11% for women. East Asia and Oceania showed significant disparities, with 20% of females being illiterate compared to 8% of males.
In other regions, Sub-Saharan Africa had a noticeably high gap in illiteracy rates between men and women, with 32% of men and nearly 50% of women being illiterate. In Arab nations, the illiteracy rates were 30% for men and over 50% for women. Finally, South Asia stood out with the highest illiteracy rates for both sexes, specifically 55% for females and 35% for males.