The bar chart below shows estimated world illiteracy rates by region and by gender for the last year. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The bar chart compares the rates of

illiteracy

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across the world by region in 2000. Gender differences have

also

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been fully taken into account.

It is clear that

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the figure for

illiteracy

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in developed countries was

overall

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lower than that in the rest of the world in 2000. The number of illiterate women was higher than men in all regions shown. The estimated

illiteracy

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rate in developed countries was almost negligible. And the rates in Latin America/Caribbean and East Asia/Oceania were no higher than 20%. The difference between the two mentioned above is that the gender gap was smaller in Latin America/Caribbean than in East Asia/Oceania. Sub-Saharan Africa, the Arab States and South Asia had higher or even twice as many people lacking literacy skills as the above-mentioned regions. The

illiteracy

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rates of males in these regions were about 30%,

while

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that of females were higher, about 48%, 52% and 55% respectively.