Band 7+: The bar chart shows the literacy rate (% of people who can read and write) by region and gender in 2011. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

The given bar chart illustrates the fluctuation in literacy rates by gender across various regions of the world in 2011.

At first glance, all the studied regions exhibited high literacy rates for both males and females. However, there were notable differences between the literacy rates of the two genders, with male literacy rates being higher than those of female in almost all areas surveyed.

Central Asia, East Asia and Central Europe achieved nearly perfect literacy rates for both sexes. The rates were slightly lower in Latin America and the Arab States, where more than 90% of the population were literate. In contrast, Sub-Sahara Africa and South and West Asia had literacy rates ranging from only 60% to 80%.

Furthermore, the figures revealed that countries with a smaller gender gap in literacy rates tended to have higher literacy rates for both genders. For examples, the literacy percentages for men and women were virtually the same in Central Asia, East Asia and Central Europe, while the gaps increased in the Caribbean, Arab States and Sub-Sahara Africa by around 5-10%. In South and West Asia, the difference between two genders reached approximately 20%.