Rate Drops Slightly, Yet Brazil Still Has 11 Million Illiterate People

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Brazilian illiteracy rate fell from 6.8 percent in 2018 to 6.6 percent in 2019, according to data from the National Household Sample Survey (PNAD) Education Continuous, released on July 15th.

Despite the drop, which represents approximately 200,000 people, Brazil still counts 11 million illiterate people. These are people aged 15 or older who, according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) criteria, are unable to read and write even a simple note.

“This rate has been dropping over time,” says research analyst Adriana Beringuy. In 2016, it was 7.2 percent. “Illiteracy is mostly found among older people, as young people are better schooled and, consequently, will record a lower indicator,” she adds.

Although it has dropped, the data shows that 18 percent of people aged 60 and over are illiterate. In 2018, it was 18.6 percent and 20.4 percent in 2016.

Reducing the illiteracy rate in Brazil is among the goals of the National Education Plan (PNE), enacted by Law 13.005/2014, which establishes the steps to be taken to improve education in the country by 2024, from kindergarten to graduate school.

By law, in 2015 Brazil should have reached the mark of 6.5 percent illiteracy among the population aged 15 or older. By 2024, the plan projected illiteracy should reach zero.

“We realize that we reached 2019 with the national rate close to the 2015 target, it’s as if we were four years behind in this regard,” Adriana says.

In addition to the differences between age groups, the survey shows that there are racial and regional inequalities in literacy in Brazil. Among whites, the illiteracy rate is 3.6 percent among those aged 15 or older. In the black and mixed ethnic population, according to IBGE criteria, this rate stands at 8.9 percent.

The difference grows among people aged 60 or older. While 9.5 percent of whites are unable to read or write, among blacks and mixed-ethnic individuals, this rate is about three times higher: 27.1 percent.

The South and Southeast regions present the lowest illiteracy rate, 3.3 percent among those aged 15 or older. In the Midwest, the rate is 4.9 percent and 7.6 percent in the North.

The Northeast has the highest percentage of illiterate people: 13.9 percent. Among those aged 60 or older, the rates are 9.5 percent in the South; 9.7 percent in the Southeast; 16.6 percent in the Midwest; 25.5 percent in the North; and 37.2 percent in the Northeast.

The Northeast Region was the only one to report a slight increase in the illiteracy rate between 2018 and 2019. Among the youngest, the rate was virtually unchanged, varying 0.03 percentage points. Among the oldest, the variation stood at 0.33 percentage points.

According to the IBGE, the majority of the total illiterate population aged 15 or older, 56.2 percent – representing 6.2 million people – lives in the Northeast Region, whereas 21.7 percent, equivalent to 2.4 million people, in the Southeast.

The Education PNAD shows that, on average, Brazilians study for 9.4 years. The data are collected among people aged 25 or older. This number increased in relation to 2018, when, on average, the study time in Brazil was 9.3 years. In 2016, it was 8.9.

Regarding color or race, according to the IBGE, the study shows “the difference was considerable.” White people study, on average, 10.4 years, while black and mixed-ethnic individuals study 8.6 years on average, a difference of almost two years between the groups, which has remained stable since 2016.

The Southeast, South, and Midwest regions have average study years above the national average, with 10.1; 9.7; and 9.8 years respectively. The Northeast and North regions stood below the country’s average, with 8.1 years and 8.9 years, respectively.

The proportion of those aged 25 or older who completed high school rose from 47.4 percent in 2018 to 48.8 percent in 2019. Among whites, this rate is higher: 57 percent. Among blacks and mixed-ethnic individuals, it was 41.8 percent. Between 2016 and 2019, this difference dropped somewhat, according to the IBGE, “but remained high, suggesting that educational opportunities were different for these groups.”

The IBGE considers that, despite the progress, more than half of the population aged 25 or older in Brazil did not complete basic school education.

The data from the IBGE’s Education Continuous PNAD refer to the second quarter of 2019.

Source: Agência Brasil