Illiteracy implies to lack of the ability to read, write and use numeracy, to handle information, to express ideas and opinions, to make decisions and solve problems. For purposes of this article, the illiteracy rate takes to account the number of people that are at least 15 years old that cannot read and write. Whereas, some countries across the world have implemented stringent policies to ensure that their citizens have access to education, others are still lagging behind, thus lowering their literacy rates.
Here are the top 20 most illiterate countries in the world.
| Rank | Country | Illiteracy rate |
| 1. | Niger | 80.9% |
| 2. | South Sudan | 73% |
| 3. | Guinea | 69.6% |
| 4. | Burkina Faso | 64% |
| 5. | Central African Republic | 63.2% |
| 6. | Afghanistan | 61.8% |
| 7. | Benin | 61.6% |
| 8. | Mali | 61.3% |
| 9. | Chad | 59.8% |
| 10. | Ivory Coast | 56.9% |
| 11. | Liberia | 52.4% |
| 12. | Sierra Leone | 51.9% |
| 13. | Ethiopia | 50.9% |
| 14. | Mauritania | 47.9% |
| 15. | Gambia | 44.5% |
| 16. | Senegal | 42.3% |
| 17. | Pakistan | 42.1% |
| 18. | Mozambique | 41.2% |
| 19. | Nigeria | 40.4% |
| 20. | Guinea Bissau | 40.1% |
