Reading and writing were long a privilege of a small elite. Compulsory schooling, spreading first across Europe in the 19th century and worldwide after 1950, made literacy the norm within a few generations.
Because most people who cannot read are older, the chances are even better for today’s young generation.
The number of university students worldwide has more than doubled since 2000. Today, 43 % of young people of university age are enrolled in higher education – up from 19 % in 2000.
Women now outnumber men among university students worldwide.
Large gaps remain: in Sub-Saharan Africa, about two in three adults can read, and women are more often left behind than men. Conflicts have even reversed progress in some countries.