Percentage was 23.4% in 2010 and went to 15% in 2022; result is still above the national average of 7%
The illiteracy rate among indigenous people fell by 8.35 percentage points from 2010 to 2022. It was 23.4% and went to 15% in 12 years. The result, however, is still above the national average, of 7%. The data are from the Census of (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics) released this Thursday (Dec 18, 2024). Here is the study (PDF – 19 MB).
According to the survey, there were 1,187,246 indigenous people aged 15 or over in the country by 2022. Of these, 1.008.539 knew how to read and write a simple note and 178.707 they didn’t know. In numbers, it means that 84.95% are considered literate e 15,05% illiterate. The national literacy rate for this group is 93%.
Within indigenous lands, the literacy percentage is lower (79.2%) compared to the general average (84.95%). In 2022, there were 370,334 indigenous people aged 15 or over residing in these places, of which 293,297 are literate and 77,037 are not.
However, compared to the rate recorded in 2010 (67.7%), there was an increase of 11.5 percentage points in literacy. 12 years ago, 32.3% could not read or write. It fell to 20.8% in 2022.
The literacy rate of indigenous people residing outside their native lands was 87.55% in 2022, higher than the general average for the group (84.95%).
In numbers, it means that of the 816,912 indigenous people aged 15 or over who live outside their native lands, 715,242 are literate and 101,670 are not (12.45%). The result represents an increase of 2.05 percentage points compared to the literacy rate recorded in 2010 (85.5%).
