Leia o texto e examine o mapa para responder à questão. Global literacy today Of the world population older than 15 years, the majority are literate, that is to say, can read and w

Leia o texto e examine o mapa para responder à questão.

Global literacy today

Of the world population older than 15 years, the majority are literate, that is to say, can read and write.

This map shows how literacy rates vary around the world. In many countries, more than 95% have basic literacy skills. Literacy skills of the majority of the population are a modern achievement. Globally, however, large inequalities continue. In some countries in sub-Saharan Africa, less than 1-in-3 adults (aged over 15 years) are able to both read and write.

Historical change in literacy

While the earliest forms of written communication date back to about 3,500–3,000 before the Christian era, for centuries literacy remained a very restricted technology closely associated with the exercise of power. It was only during the Middle Ages that book production started growing, and literacy among the general population slowly started becoming important in the Western World. However, it took centuries for universal literacy to happen. It was only in the 19th and 20th centuries that rates of literacy approached universality in early-industrialized countries.

(Max Roser e Esteban Ortiz-Ospina, 03.2023. https://ourworldindata.org/ literacy. Acesso em 14.09.2024. Adaptado.)

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