Traditionally literacy has been commonly defined as the ability to read and write at an adequate level of proficiency that is necessary for communication. More recently however, literacy has taken on several meanings. Technological literacy, mathematical literacy, and visual literacy are just a few examples. While it may be difficult to gauge the degree to which literacy has an impact on an individual’s overall happiness, one can easily infer that an increase in literacy will lead to the improvement of an individual’s life and the development of societies.

While in developed nations, the majority of the population over the age of 17 possesses basic literacy skills in reading and writing,, the rate of literacy in developing nations is much lower. This lack of widespread... (more)

Traditionally literacy has been commonly defined as the ability to read and write at an adequate level of proficiency that is necessary for communication. More recently however, literacy has taken on several meanings. Technological literacy, mathematical literacy, and visual literacy are just a few examples. While it may be difficult to gauge the degree to which literacy has an impact on an individual’s overall happiness, one can easily infer that an increase in literacy will lead to the improvement of an individual’s life and the development of societies.

While in developed nations, the majority of the population over the age of 17 possesses basic literacy skills in reading and writing,, the rate of literacy in developing nations is much lower. This lack of widespread literacy hinders the further development of such nations. International agencies like UNESCO are campaigning to raise literacy rates worldwide. While progress has been made and literacy rates have increased, the growth in population worldwide has led to a further expansion of illiterate individuals. UNESCO has found a correlation between illiteracy and poverty, low life expectancy, and political oppression.

Literacy campaigns around the world also include programs to increase the level of adult literacy. Increasing literacy rates among adults can serve several purposes. Equipping adults with basic literacy skills can enable them to be more proactive when it comes to their child’s education. As this works to increase literacy, political conditions in oppressive countries may improve. Moreover an increase in literate adults means an increase in individuals campaigning for education as a fundamental human right.

Sri Lanka is an example of a developing nation that has shown a dramatic increase in literacy. Sri Lanka has a literacy rate of 96%, one of the highest literacy rates in all of South Asia and much higher than that expected of a developing country. This can be attributed to the country’s policy of providing free education to all children regardless of income. Additionally, the illiteracy rate for adults 15-24 is only 4.4% according to the 2001 census.