16 Most Illiterate Countries in The World

The 16 most illiterate countries in the world are a stark reminder that there are still some nations that need to focus on and improve their education systems. Educations is perhaps the most important thing in the world, and a lack thereof suggests a fundamental flaw in a country’s policy. If the citizens of a country are not educated, the country cannot succeed. After all, just a generation ago, South Korea was an extremely poor country with no positive outlook whatsoever. However, the government made the right call and invested heavily in education, making it compulsory, while also ensuring that the schools were operating at the highest possible standards. And now, it has one of the highest GDP per capita in the world and is the home to one of the largest electronic goods manufacturers in the world – Samsung.

The West has realized the link between education and success, and most Western countries boast a literacy rate close to 100 percent. These, in turn, have led to greater advancements, which have increased the wealth of the country and allowed an even greater investment in education. As you can see, this is a perpetual cycle. Starting the cycle, though, can be an issue. After all, to be able to develop an education system of excellent quality, you need to have the necessary resources and money required. Many countries simply do not have the wealth required to run a proper education system. This is mainly true for countries in Africa, where many are extremely poor and underdeveloped.

Resources are not the only reason illiteracy is often prevalent in a country. Often cultures disregard the importance of education. Parents who grew up without getting an education often believe that their children don’t need one too and that it’s just a waste of money, and the cycle continues. On the other hand, some parents simply can’t afford to send their children to school and instead have them work so that they can contribute their earnings to the family. In addition, corruption in the government can also result in the misappropriation of funds which have been set aside for education, which has disastrous consequences.

Thus, it is not surprising that most of the countries on our list are from Africa, where the aforementioned problems can be found. While some countries are taking measures to improve their literacy rate, there is still a long way to go. UNESCO helped us trace the literacy rate of the countries in the world. The literacy rate is defined as the percentage of people over the age of 15 who can read or write. Unsurprisingly, most of the countries which made our list were also featured on the list of the 11 Least Educated Countries in the World. Let’s take a look at the 16 most illiterate countries in the world.

16. Senegal

Literacy rate: 55.70%

While education in Senegal is free as well as compulsory, the government allows an exception for parents who prefer an Islamic education for their children. This combined with extreme poverty and lack of enforcement of the compulsory education law has seen Senegal’s literacy rate suffer.

15. Gambia

Literacy rate: 55.50%

While they based their system on the British education system, Gambia failed to realize that the people could barely afford to pay the high fees, which led to many parents being unable to send their children to school. However, the president abolished the fees for the first six years of education while also establishing an education reform program, which led to an increase in the literacy rate. As shown, however, there is still a long way to go.

14. Mauritania

Literacy rate: 52.1%

Even though the literacy rate is still quite low, the country has come a long way when compared to its educational structure when it achieved its independence, when the literacy stood at around 5 percent. Nowadays, high fees are one of the major deterrents for parents who want their children to achieve a quality education.

13. Ethiopia

Literacy rate: 49.10%

While you might think a literacy rate below 50 percent is low, it was actually much worse for Ethiopia before 1975, when nine out of every 10 people were illiterate. While a massive educational reform program has seen the literacy rate rise, these achievements have been from the urban sector and the rural areas are still largely illiterate.

12. Sierra Leone

Literacy rate: 48.10%

The civil war resulted in the destruction of hundreds of schools in the country, which it is still recovering from. While the nation has worked hard to rebuild itself following the war, it is obvious that greater efforts and resources are required in this respect.

11. Liberia

Literacy rate: 47.60%

The influence of religion on education is not often good idea and the fact that most of Liberia’s schools are run by churches and missionary groups does not bode well for the country.

10. Côte d’Ivoire

Literacy rate: 43.10%

Another African country which has been ravaged by civil wars makes the list of 16 most illiterate countries in the world. The civil war has still not ended and not only has it resulted in the destruction of many schools, but many parents stopped sending their children to school because of the danger that they would be killed. Imagine not sending your children to school because it might result in their deaths! Most of us can’t even imagine such a situation and it is not surprising that the nation’s literacy rate has suffered, with 36 percent of adults not having attained any education at all.

9. Chad

Literacy rate: 40.20%

The education system in Chad, the next one on our list of most illiterate countries in the world, is pretty poorly organized. Most students are unable to pass their exams, with only 9 percent passing back in 2012. This is because there are few formal training programs for the teachers of the country and even they are not often enforced. Furthermore, only 36 percent of the children in the country who are of school going age actually go to school. There could be a brilliant mind simply sitting at home because he can’t afford to go to school and get a basic education.

8. Mali

Literacy rate: 38.70%

Public education in this country is free of charge for students, but there are other costs associated with attending school as well, like books, other supplies, uniforms, and shoes and because of the high poverty rate in the country, most people are unable to afford those thingss; therefore, children are deprived of much-needed education.

7. Benin

Literacy rate: 38.40%

In an attempt to improve the horrible literacy rate, Benin, one of the most illiterate countries in the world , made education free. If it wants to improve its literacy rate significantly, Benin will need to reduce the gender discrimination prevalent in the country and emphasize the importance of educating women. This is because there is a huge difference in the literacy rate between men and women, with only a quarter of women being considered literate.

6. Afghanistan

Literacy rate: 38.20%

The coming of the Taliban saw the destruction of a country that held much promise. The systematic slaughtering of people continued until the regime was overthrown in 2003. However, the remnants of the brutality can still be seen today. The Taliban banned women leaving their homes without a ‘Mahram’ or a person with whom sexual intercourse would be considered illegal (mainly a male from the immediate family). Women who disobeyed this rule were often severely beaten in public, which is why women often didn’t go to school, a trend which has continued even now. Therefore, the women in this country are mostly illiterate.

5. The Central African Republic

Literacy rate: 36.80%

Surprisingly, HIV caused many schools closed down, with teachers dying because of AIDS. Child labor is also prevalent here, which has led to many children missing out on an education while they toil their young lives away in forced labor.

4. Burkina Faso

Literacy rate: 36%

In 2008, Burkina Faso, one of the most illiterate countries in the world, had the lowest literacy rate in the world. While the law of the country stipulates that education is free, the country is too poor to actually provide quality free education and the people are often unable to send their children to school because of the high fees. Another factor influencing the lack of education is the lack of training for teachers.

3. South Sudan

Literacy rate: 31.90%

The number three on our list of most illiterate countries in the world is Sudan that is a conservative country, and while efforts have been made to overhaul the education system, it hasn’t been much help to the female population. Furthermore, around half of the Sudanese people live below the poverty line, and can barely afford three meals a day, let alone pay for school. Even the government lacks the resources necessary to help fund educational growth or make education free.

2. Guinea

Literacy rate: 30.40%

Even though education in Guinea is free for students between the ages of six and eleven, only half of the children still attend school. The literacy rate is even lower for those who live in rural areas, as the schools in such areas are few and far in between.

1. Niger

Literacy rate: 19.10%

With over four-fifths of the population illiterate, Niger tops the list of 16 most illiterate countries in the world. Few schools, lack of access to the schools which already exist, and extreme poverty are the reasons that the people of Niger have suffered in terms of education.