Palestine Economy Portal

On the International Literacy Day, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics announced that the State of Palestine recorded one of the lowest illiteracy rates in the world (2.6% among individuals 15 years and over), while the illiteracy rate among individuals 15 years and over in the Arab countries reached 25.2% in 2018 according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics data.

The agency stated in a statement today, Tuesday, that the number of illiterates in the Arab world for the same year was about 68.9 million, of whom 42.6 million were females at a rate of 32.6% compared to 18.4% (26.3 million) among males, and the global illiteracy rate among individuals reached 15 years and over. 13.7%, and the number of illiterates in the world reached about 772.8 million, of whom 486.2 million were females, at a rate of 17.2%, while the illiteracy rate among males (15 years and over) in the world reached 10.2% (286.6 million).

The number of literacy centers in Palestine reached 187 centers, 162 centers in the West Bank and 25 centers in the Gaza Strip in the academic year 2018/2019, while the number of students enrolled in these centers reached 2,307 students, of whom 1,035 were males and 1, 272 females.

The data showed a significant decrease in the illiteracy rate since 1997, and the illiteracy rate among the Palestinian population 15 years and over reached 13.9% in 1997 and reached 2.6% in 2019, and this trend of decline applies to both sexes, as the rate among males decreased from 7.8% in In 1997, it decreased to 1.2% in 2019, and among females, it decreased from 20.3% to 4.1% for the same period. At the regional level, the rate decreased in the West Bank from 14.1% in 1997 to 9.2% in 2019, while in the Gaza Strip it decreased from 13.7% to 2.2% for the same period.

The illiteracy rate among individuals 15 years and over in Palestine was 2.6% (80.4 thousand illiterate women) in 2019, by 1.2% among males (18.5 thousand illiterate persons) and 4.1% among females (61.9 thousand illiterates). At the regional level, the illiteracy rate among individuals 15 years and over in the West Bank was 2.9% (54.8 thousand illiterate women), 1.3% among males (12.0 thousand illiterate) and 4.6% among females (42.8 thousand illiterate women) for the same year. While this rate was 2.2% (25.6 thousand illiterate women) among individuals 15 years and over in the Gaza Strip for the same year, by 1.1% among males (6.5 thousand illiterate) and 3.3% among females (19.1 thousand illiterate persons).

The distribution of illiterates varies among age groups, with the age group 65 years and over registering the highest percentage among illiterates, while the two age groups (30-44 years) and (15-29 years) recorded the lowest percentage among illiterates.

As for illiteracy rates according to age groups, the illiteracy rate among the elderly 65 years and over reached 27.9% (645 thousand illiterate and illiterate persons) in 2019, while it reached 2.9% in the age group (45-64 years) (17.5 thousand illiterate and illiterate persons) and 0. 8% in the age group (30-44 years) (7.1 thousand illiterate and illiterate), while among young people (15-29 years) 0.7% (10.2 thousand illiterate and illiterate) for the same year.

The illiteracy rate in rural communities was 3.2% (15.3 thousand illiterate and illiterate persons), 2.6% in the camps (6.6 thousand illiterate and illiterate persons) and 2.5% in urban communities (58.5 thousand illiterate and illiterate persons) in 2019.