The bar chart illustrates the estimated illiteracy rates among males and females across six regions of the world in the year 2000. The figures show that females generally had higher illiteracy rates than males in every region.
In developed countries, illiteracy was very low for both genders, with only about 1-2% of males and slightly more females unable to read or write. In Latin America/Caribbean and East Asia/Oceania, illiteracy levels were still relatively low, though higher for women. In Latin America/Caribbean, male illiteracy was around 10%, while for females it was approximately 12%. Similarly, East Asia/Oceania had about 8% of males and just over 10% of females who were illiterate.
Conversely, developing regions showed much higher illiteracy levels, especially among women. In Sub-Saharan Africa, around 30% of males and nearly 45% of females were illiterate. The Arab States had similar results, with male illiteracy at about 25% and female illiteracy just under 50%. South Asia had the highest rates overall, where approximately half of all women could not read or write, compared to about 30% of men.