The ability to read and write may seem like basic fundamental skills that all people, both young and old, should possess. However, figures show that illiteracy is still an issue around the world, even after decades of pushing more adults and children into school and reaching out to developing countries to educate their children. It should be noted that there is no universal definition of literacy. There are no guidelines as to how much a person needs to know before he or she can be deemed "literate." The numbers compiled by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) are based on the individual’s ability to read and write by the ages that most children learn how to read or write in a particular country. For example, in the United States, the literacy rate is determined by those who can read and write by the age of 15, whereas in Liechtenstein, the base age of literacy is 10 years.
Literacy is important for the well-being of people as well as for the well-being of the country in which they live. A country’s literacy rate often reflects the level of education of its residents. Those with higher literacy rates have more educated residents, and therefore are also often more economically independent and prosperous than countries with low literacy rates. Low literacy rates can indicate low levels of education, which can slow down economic development, especially now that the world is so interconnected and rapidly moving forward with technology. Countries that cannot educate its residents quickly enough will inevitably fall behind. For example, Afghanistan, a country which is still struggling with internal as well as external conflicts, only has a literacy rate of 28.1 percent as of 2000, according to the CIA’s World Factbook. Even its male population, who are typically the ones to gain education, only has a literacy rate of 43.1 percent. Many developing countries have similar dismal literacy figures, such as Bangladesh’s 47.9 percent, Egypt’s 71.4 percent, and Guatemala’s 69.1 percent. Most of these countries are also struggling behind powerhouse literate countries, like Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, which all boast a 99 percent literacy rate. Educating the masses is one of the most powerful ways to turn war-torn and poverty-striken countries into productive participants of the global economy. Much progress has been made in the United States to teach its citizens how to read and write, as evidenced by its high literacy rate. However, illiteracy remains a problem to be solved in many countries worldwide.
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