Brazil's literacy rate reaches 93%

According to the IBGE, there has been an upward trend in literacy rates among people aged 15 and older throughout the censuses. In 1940, less than half of the population – 44 per cent – were literate. Four decades later, in 1980, the literacy rate increased by 30.5 percentage points to 74.5 per cent, and finally, after another four decades, in 2022, the country reached 93 per cent, an increase of 18.5 percentage points since 1980.

According to IBGE, in 2022, the lowest illiteracy rate (1.5 per cent) will be in the 15 to 19 age group. This is reported by Brasil 247, a partner of TV BRICS.

According to IBGE, women tend to have higher educational attainment than men, including higher literacy rates. In 2022, the percentage of women who could read and write was 93.5 per cent, compared to 92.5 per cent of men.

This female advantage was observed in almost all age groups analysed, except for the oldest, aged 65 and over. The largest percentage point difference in favour of women was observed in the 45 to 54 age group, reaching 2.7 percentage points, although women in the under-45 age group still have higher literacy rates than men in the same age groups.

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