The given bar chart depicts the proportion of literacy rate between men and women in seven distinct regions in the year 2011.
Overall, the most significant literacy rate for both genders could be seen in Central Asia and Central/Eastern Europe, while the lowest figure was in Sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, the most noticeable difference was seen in the percentage of South and West Asia.
Concerning males, the highest rate of men who had the ability to read and write was in Central Asia, with 100%. This was followed closely by three areas, namely Central/Eastern Europe, East Asia/Pacific, and Latin America/Caribbean, with a similar percentage of approximately 98%. Additionally, Arab states stood at about 90% in comparison with nearly 80% of South and West Asia. Finally, Sub-Saharan Africa recorded the least literacy rate, with around 70%.
In terms of females, the overall literacy rates were lower than those of males in most regions, with the exception of Central Asia and Central/Eastern Europe, where both sexes reached equivalent rates, at 100% and roughly 98%, respectively. The rate of female literacy in East Asia/Pacific and Latin America/Caribbean accounted for almost 95% and 90%, which were marginally lower than those of males. Similarly, the percentage of women who were literate in Arab states stood at nearly 80%, about 10% lower than that of men. In contrast, South and West Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa recorded the lowest female literacy rate compared to males, both at just over 60%.