Literacy
Literacy is the ability to read and write, a foundational skill that has expanded dramatically worldwide over the past two centuries alongside the growth of public education.
Confined for most of human history to a small privileged minority, the ability to read and write has expanded to reach the overwhelming majority of the world's population within just the last two centuries.
Historically Limited Access
For most of recorded history, literacy remained limited to a small privileged minority, including religious clergy, scribes, and the wealthy, with reading and writing skills largely inaccessible to ordinary people.
Expansion Following the Printing Press
The invention of the printing press significantly reduced the cost of books, gradually expanding practical incentives and opportunities for broader portions of the population to become literate.
Public Education's Transformative Impact
The expansion of public education systems during the 19th and 20th centuries dramatically increased global literacy rates, transforming societies where literacy was once the exception into ones where it became the norm.
Continued Global Disparities
Despite dramatic overall global progress, significant literacy disparities persist between different countries and communities, with continued international efforts focused on further expanding literacy access worldwide.
