RAMALLAH, The illiteracy rate among the Palestinian population 15 years and above in Palestine reached 2.5% in 2020; one of the lowest rates in the world, today said the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS).
According to UNESCO’s Institute for Statistics, the illiteracy rate among persons (aged 15 years and above) in Western Asia and Northern Africa was 19.7% in 2019; 14.3% among males, compared to 25.4% among females. In the same year, the rate was 13.5% in the world among the same age group; 10.7% among males compared to 17.0% among females.
Illiteracy rates among the Palestinian population (aged 15 years and above) in Palestine dropped during the period 1997-2019 from 13.9% to 2.5%. Which is a decline from 7.8% in 1997 to 1.2% in 2020 among males, and a decline from 20.3% to 3.8% among females during the same period, said PCBS marking International Literacy Day.
According to the region, the illiteracy rate decreased from 14.1% in 1997 to 2.8% in 2020 in the West Bank, while it decreased from 13.7% in 1997 to 2.0% in 2020 in Gaza Strip.
The illiteracy rate varies considerably between age groups. The age group (65 years and above) recorded the highest rate, while the lowest rate was among the age group (30-44 years).
In 2020, the illiteracy rate among older persons 65 years and above reached about 25.5% (43.1 thousand illiterate persons). The rate was about 2.5% (15.8 thousand illiterate persons) among the age group 45-64 years, 0.9% (8.3 thousand illiterate persons) among the age group 30-44 years, and 0.8% (11.2 thousand illiterate persons) among youth 15-29 years for the same year.
In 2020, the illiteracy rate reached 3.2% in rural localities (15.1 thousand illiterate persons), 2.5% in refugee camps (6.6 thousand illiterate persons), and 2.4% (56.7 thousand illiterate persons) in urban areas.
Data from the Ministry of Education showed that the number of literacy centers in Palestine for the scholastic year 2019/2020 was 81 centers; 56 centers in the West Bank and 25 centers in the Gaza Strip. The total number of students enrolled in such centers was 1,247, including 695 males and 552 females.
Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency