Education > Literacy Stats: compare key data on Malaysia & Puerto Rico
Definitions
- Definition: This entry includes a definition of literacy and Census Bureau percentages for the total population, males, and females. There are no universal definitions and standards of literacy. Unless otherwise specified, all rates are based on the most common definition - the ability to read and write at a specified age. Detailing the standards that individual countries use to assess the ability to read and write is beyond the scope of our source. Information on literacy, while not a perfect measure of educational results, is probably the most easily available and valid for international comparisons.
- Female: This entry includes a definition of literacy and Census Bureau percentages for the total population, males, and females. There are no universal definitions and standards of literacy. Unless otherwise specified, all rates are based on the most common definition - the ability to read and write at a specified age. Detailing the standards that individual countries use to assess the ability to read and write is beyond the scope of our source. Information on literacy, while not a perfect measure of educational results, is probably the most easily available and valid for international comparisons.
- Literacy rate, adult female > % of females ages 15 and above: Literacy rate, adult female (% of females ages 15 and above). Adult (15+) literacy rate (%). Female is the percentage of females age 15 and above who can, with understanding, read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life. Generally, u2018literacyu2019 also encompasses u2018numeracyu2019, the ability to make simple arithmetic calculations. This indicator is calculated by dividing the number of female literates aged 15 years and over by the corresponding age group population and multiplying the result by 100.
- Literacy rate, adult male > % of males ages 15 and above: Literacy rate, adult male (% of males ages 15 and above). Adult (15+) literacy rate (%). Male is the percentage of males age 15 and above who can, with understanding, read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life. Generally, u2018literacyu2019 also encompasses u2018numeracyu2019, the ability to make simple arithmetic calculations. This indicator is calculated by dividing the number of male literates aged 15 years and over by the corresponding age group population and multiplying the result by 100.
- Literacy rate, adult total > % of people ages 15 and above: Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above). Adult (15+) literacy rate (%). Total is the percentage of the population age 15 and above who can, with understanding, read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life. Generally, u2018literacyu2019 also encompasses u2018numeracyu2019, the ability to make simple arithmetic calculations. This indicator is calculated by dividing the number of literates aged 15 years and over by the corresponding age group population and multiplying the result by 100.
- Literacy rate, youth female > % of females ages 15-24: Literacy rate, youth female (% of females ages 15-24). Youth (15-24) literacy rate (%). Female is the number of females age 15 to 24 years who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement on their everyday life, divided by the female population in that age group. Generally, u2018literacyu2019 also encompasses u2018numeracyu2019, the ability to make simple arithmetic calculations.
- Literacy rate, youth male > % of males ages 15-24: Literacy rate, youth male (% of males ages 15-24). Youth (15-24) literacy rate (%). Male is the number of males age 15 to 24 years who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement on their everyday life, divided by the male population in that age group. Generally, u2018literacyu2019 also encompasses u2018numeracyu2019, the ability to make simple arithmetic calculations.
- Literacy rate, youth total > % of people ages 15-24: Literacy rate, youth total (% of people ages 15-24). Youth (15-24) literacy rate (%). Total is the number of people age 15 to 24 years who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement on their everyday life, divided by the population in that age group. Generally, u2018literacyu2019 also encompasses u2018numeracyu2019, the ability to make simple arithmetic calculations.
- Male: This entry includes a definition of literacy and Census Bureau percentages for the total population, males, and females. There are no universal definitions and standards of literacy. Unless otherwise specified, all rates are based on the most common definition - the ability to read and write at a specified age. Detailing the standards that individual countries use to assess the ability to read and write is beyond the scope of our source. Information on literacy, while not a perfect measure of educational results, is probably the most easily available and valid for international comparisons.
- Ratio of young literate females to males > % ages 15-24: Ratio of young literate females to males (% ages 15-24). Gender parity index for youth literacy rate is the ratio of female youth literacy rate to male youth literacy rate. It is calculated by dividing the female value for the indicator by the male value for the indicator. A GPI equal to 1 indicates parity between females and males. In general, a value less than 1 indicates disparity in favor of males and a value greater than 1 indicates disparity in favor of females.
- Total population: This entry includes a definition of literacy and Census Bureau percentages for the total population, males, and females. There are no universal definitions and standards of literacy. Unless otherwise specified, all rates are based on the most common definition - the ability to read and write at a specified age. Detailing the standards that individual countries use to assess the ability to read and write is beyond the scope of our source. Information on literacy, while not a perfect measure of educational results, is probably the most easily available and valid for international comparisons.
SOURCES: CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 28 March 2011; UNESCO Institute for Statistics
