How Low Literacy Levels Hinder Sustainable Development

When we think about sustainable development, we often picture renewable energy, clean water systems, or climate action. But there’s a powerful factor that underpins all these efforts: literacy. The ability to read, write, and understand basic information isn’t just about personal empowerment-it’s a cornerstone of building resilient, sustainable societies. Yet, 739 million adults worldwide still lack basic literacy skills, creating a significant barrier to achieving global sustainability goals.

Education as a tool for inclusion and sustainable progress 🔗

Literacy serves as a gateway to participation in modern society. It enables individuals to access information, make informed decisions, and engage meaningfully in their communities. Education helps people break the cycle of poverty, reduces inequalities, and contributes to gender equality. When people can read health pamphlets, understand agricultural best practices, or access information about climate risks, they become active participants in sustainable development rather than passive recipients of aid.

The connection between literacy and poverty reduction is particularly striking. Research shows that if adults had just two more years of schooling, nearly 60 million people could be lifted out of poverty. This isn’t merely an economic statistic-it represents families with better nutrition, children with improved health outcomes, and communities with greater resilience to environmental and economic shocks.

Literacy also plays a crucial role in health and well-being. People with higher literacy levels are better equipped to understand disease prevention, access healthcare services, and make informed decisions about their families’ nutrition and health. In regions facing climate-related disasters, literate populations can better understand early warning systems, evacuation procedures, and recovery resources. This knowledge can literally save lives during floods, droughts, or extreme weather events.

The scale of global illiteracy challenges 🔗

The numbers paint a sobering picture. As of 2024, 739 million adults remain unable to read and write, with women making up nearly two-thirds of this population. While global literacy rates have improved from 86% in 2015 to 88% in 2024, progress has been uneven and insufficient to meet international development targets.

The gender gap in literacy remains a persistent challenge. Among the 739 million illiterate adults globally, 466 million are women. In some sub-Saharan African countries, only 31% of elderly women are literate compared to 55% of elderly men. This disparity not only limits women’s economic opportunities but also affects entire families, as mothers’ education levels strongly influence children’s health, nutrition, and educational outcomes.

Regional disparities further complicate the picture. While Central and Southern Asia saw adult literacy rates increase from 72% to 77% between 2015 and 2024, and sub-Saharan Africa improved from 65% to 69%, these gains remain far below what’s needed. In 15 countries including Afghanistan, Chad, and Burkina Faso, adult literacy rates remain below 60%, severely limiting these nations’ capacity for sustainable development.

The World Bank’s concept of “learning poverty” reveals another dimension of this crisis: 53% of children in low- and middle-income countries cannot read and understand a simple story by the end of primary school. In poor countries, this figure reaches 80%. Without foundational literacy, these children face limited prospects for employment, civic participation, and contributing to sustainable development efforts.

Barriers to literacy in vulnerable populations 🔗

Marginalized groups face compounded challenges. Among 108 million forcibly displaced people, only 30% of youth in crisis-affected countries have access to education. Children with disabilities, indigenous populations, and those in conflict zones often lack access to quality education infrastructure. Over a third of primary schools in least developed countries lack basic sanitation, more than half lack electricity, and over two-thirds lack digital tools-all essential for modern learning.

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these inequalities, with school closures affecting 1.5 billion students globally. Many never returned to classrooms, and learning outcomes declined significantly. Between 2018 and 2022, proficiency levels among lower-secondary students dropped by 15 points in mathematics and 10 points in reading-setting back years of progress.

Integrating sustainability into education systems 🔗

Addressing the literacy crisis requires more than traditional approaches. We must integrate sustainability concepts into curricula to prepare learners for the challenges ahead. UNESCO’s Education for Sustainable Development framework emphasizes climate change education, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable resource management as essential components of quality education.

However, current efforts fall short. A study of over 530 curricula from 85 countries found that 69% contained no references to climate change, while 66% had no references to sustainability. This gap is alarming given that today’s students will face increasingly severe climate impacts throughout their lives.

Building climate-literate societies 🔗

Climate change education goes beyond environmental science. It requires developing competencies across cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioral dimensions. Students need to understand climate science, develop empathy for affected communities, and acquire skills to take meaningful action. UNESCO’s Greening Curriculum Guidance provides a roadmap for countries to integrate climate education from pre-primary through tertiary levels and into teacher training programs.

The goal is ambitious but necessary: by 2030, 90% of all countries should include climate change in their curricula. This requires updating educational policies, retraining teachers, developing new learning materials, and ensuring assessment systems measure climate competencies. Countries must also adopt whole-institution approaches where schools themselves model sustainability through their operations and campus management.

Innovation and critical thinking for sustainable futures 🔗

Sustainability education must foster innovation and critical thinking. Students need skills to analyze complex environmental challenges, evaluate conflicting information, and develop creative solutions. This includes digital literacy, as technology plays an increasingly important role in monitoring environmental changes, sharing knowledge, and implementing sustainable practices.

Vocational and technical education also requires transformation. Training programs must equip workers with green skills for renewable energy installation, sustainable agriculture, circular economy practices, and climate-resilient infrastructure development. These skills are essential for the transition to sustainable economies while providing meaningful employment opportunities.

The path forward 🔗

Breaking the cycle between low literacy and limited sustainable development requires coordinated action. Governments must prioritize education financing, making quality education free and accessible to all. This includes recruiting and training qualified teachers, building adequate infrastructure, and providing learning materials that reflect sustainability principles.

Communities, civil society organizations, and the private sector all have roles to play. Literacy programs for adults, particularly women, can have transformative effects across generations. When mothers can read, their children are more likely to attend school and succeed academically. When farmers can access agricultural extension materials, they can adopt climate-smart practices. When community leaders understand disaster preparedness information, they can save lives.

Technology offers new opportunities but also risks widening gaps. While 90% of the global population has internet access, many lack skills to use it effectively and safely. Digital literacy must complement traditional literacy to ensure everyone can participate in increasingly digitalized societies.

What do you think? How can your community better integrate climate education into local schools? What creative approaches might help adults who missed educational opportunities gain literacy skills needed for sustainable livelihoods?

References

1. https://www.unesco.org/en/literacy
2. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/education/
3. https://www.un.org/en/un-chronicle/promoting-literacy-more-peaceful-just-and-sustainable-societies
4. https://www.unesco.org/sites/default/files/medias/fichiers/2025/09/ild-2025-factsheet.pdf
5. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/education/brief/ending-learning-poverty
6. https://www.unesco.org/en/climate-change/education
7. https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/climate-change-and-sustainability-science-and-social-science-secondary-school-curricula
8. https://www.unesco.org/en/sustainable-development/education/greening-future/curriculum