It seems most people in Burundi and Tanzania can read and write, compared to those in fellow East African Countries. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Out of the six member states making up the East African Community, Burundi tops the bill as far as adult literacy is concerned, with 85.6 percent of the country’s adult population reported to be able to read and write. At least 88 percent of males and 83 percent of females in Burundi are literate. The second smallest state in East Africa however has 12 million residents,
Tanzania ranks second in having 80.3 percent of its adult population, with basic education enabling them to read and write. Among them 84.8 percent males and 75.9 percent females. Taking into consideration that the country has the biggest area as well as largest population estimated to have hit the 60 million mark, Tanzania should be essentially the most literate in the region.
Despite being the leading economy in the region, Kenya comes third with 78 percent of its adult population being literate. That is 81.1 percent males and 74.9 percent females. It is not known how many adults make the country’s 54 million population.
The literacy percentage for adult’s population in Uganda is 73.9 percent, among them 80.8 males and 66.9 females. Uganda’s population figure currently stands at 46 million on average.
Rwanda, the smallest country in the region is however more populous (13 million residents) than its next door neighbor Burundi, but also less literate. Because the percentage of adults who can read and write in Rwanda stands at 70.5 % among them 73.2 percent males and 68 percent females.
South-Sudan is the newest state in the world, the newest member of the East African Community and somehow also the less literate one as far as the country’s adult population is concerned. Apparently only 26.8 percent of them can read and write. That is 34.8 percent males and only 19.2 percent females. The population of South-Sudan has reached 11.1 million people.
African women lag behind male counterparts in literacy
In Africa, it is Equatorial Guinea which is most literate with 95 percent of its adults knowing how to read and write. Niger is least literate, only 19 percent of its adults can read.
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