Summary
Both boys and girls are learning more, and the difference between them is getting smaller.
Cities have higher reading scores than villages, but both are improving.
New school programs help children stay in class and finish their studies.
Key Points
6 points1
Literacy increased from 18.3% in 1951 to 81.1% in 2025.
2
Male literacy reached about 82% while female literacy reached about 65% in 2011.
3
Urban literacy is about 89%, rural about 77% for people aged seven and older.
4
School enrolment is over 247 million students across all stages.
5
Dropout rates are low, with less than 4% leaving school before finishing secondary level.
6
Programs like Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society and National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy support learning for adults and young children.
New Words to Learn
7 wordsliteracy
being able to read and write
numeracy
being able to use numbers and do math
enrolment
the act of signing up to go to school
dropout
a student who leaves school before finishing
initiative
a new plan or program to solve a problem
empowerment
helping people gain confidence and skills
sustainable development goal
a world plan to make life better for everyone
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