What You Need to Know About India’s Literacy Rate

Literacy rates show the percentage of people in a given population living in an area who can read and write. Literacy is a vital life skill needed to understand and communicate with others, but not everyone receives the opportunity to become literate. This article explains what you need to know about India’s literacy rate and the reasons why this is critical.

The Literacy Rate in India

India’s current literacy rate is 74%, while the global average is estimated at 86%. Since India has a population of 1.38 billion people, that means over 358 million Indians are illiterate. That’s more than the entire population of the United States!

Why Is India’s Literacy Rate So Important?

While literacy is an inherently important ability, India’s low literacy rate is symptomatic of other critical issues the country faces. For example, one of the reasons why India’s literacy rate is so low is because women in India have not historically had the opportunities men have had to learn how to read and write; a fact that hinders the next generation.

India’s illiteracy corresponds with poverty, particularly for those living in rural areas: it also parallels individuals born in the caste denoted as “lower castes.” This often results in them lacking the same access to education as people of the so-called “higher castes.” It locks them intergenerationally in a cycle of hard labor and at times exploitation, with no avenue to improve their livelihood, and leaving little or no resources to invest into education for themselves or the next generation.

Recently, Kuttiyamma’s story hit the national headlines in India. This 104-year-old woman just realized her dream of learning how to read. The reason she never learned to read before was that she was born into poverty in a low-caste family living in a rural area. For most of her life, she had to worry about daily tasks like cooking, cleaning, and caring for animals in order to survive, and these took priority over learning to read and write.

The literacy rate of India is also significant because education—like learning to read and write—is vital for individuals to break the cycle of poverty, provide for their families, and be successful. There are many Indian citizens who came from poor, difficult backgrounds and have used education as a way to better their lives. Some of them are now among the top CEOs both in America and the world as a whole.

At Tiyara, we know the importance of literacy as we seek to provide educational opportunities that will make life-changing differences for under-resourced young women and men in India, equipping them to pursue professional and skilled employment. Some of these young women and men have had their lives changed by crime, others’ families are constantly struggling to get by, and some are from indigenous populations that are often discriminated against.

You can help make a difference by providing technology for our students, other education-related costs, or by putting a deserving young person through college!