Lack of reading and writing skills.
The inability to read and write and understand the basic elements of language. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), some 25% of the world's adult population is illiterate. Average rates of literacy vary from 50-70% in the developing world to nearly 99% in industrialized countries. In total, there are more than 900 million illiterate people in the world, nearly 98% living in developing countries. More than half of today's illiterate adults live in India (291 million) and China (166 million). In India 57% of adult males are literate compared with only 29% of women.
ignorance resulting from not reading
not knowing how to read or write.
a person who is illiterate is not able to, with understanding, read or write simple statements about every day life nor do simple mathematical calculations.
Unable to read and write.
The inability to read or write. Illiteracy can also refer to the ignorance of a set of terms or ideas that describe a concept. For example, human rights illiteracy is a lack of knowledge regarding human rights principles and norms.
Illiteracy is the inability to read or write at a competent level. A growing number of North Americans are becoming illiterate, and the numbers are increasing each year. This has caused the government and powerful lobby groups to sound an alarm, and a concerted effort is being made to eradicate illiteracy in children.
The inability to read and write a simple statement about one's everyday life and do simple mathematical calculations is called illiteracy. Source: UNESCO See also adult illiteracy above.