The illiteracy rate in Brazil fell to 4.9% in 2025, marking the first time the indicator has dropped below the 5% threshold since the current data series began in 2016, the Brazilian government announced today. Data released by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) reveals, however, that 8.4 million Brazilians aged 15 or older still cannot read or write.
According to the official figures, there was a reduction of 592,000 illiterate individuals compared to 2024, but the goal of completely eradicating illiteracy set by the National Education Plan for 2024 was not achieved.
More than half of Brazil’s illiterate population, approximately 4,8 million people, lives in the Northeast, where the regional illiteracy rate reached 10.6%, the highest among all Brazilian regions.
The population aged 60 or older accounted for 58% of the total illiterate population in 2025, with around 4.9 million individuals in this demographic category, while the rate falls to 2.6% among Brazilians aged 15 to 59. Among the elderly, the illiteracy rate for women dropped below that of men for the first time, sitting at 13.7% compared to 14.1% for men.
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Racial inequalities remain highly expressive according to the IBGE statement, given that among individuals aged 60 or older, the illiteracy rate for Black or mixed-race (pretos or pardos) Brazilians reached 20.6%, which is nearly three times higher than the 7.3% observed among white Brazilians.
The survey also pointed out advancements in educational attainment, with more than half of Black and mixed-race individuals aged 25 or older having completed high school for the first time in history, although this proportion still lags behind that recorded among white citizens.
Among young people aged 14 to 29 who dropped out or never attended school, the necessity to work was the most cited reason, followed by a lack of interest in studying, which was pointed out by 25.6% of this group. Claudia Costin, an education policy expert and president of the Instituto Salto, told Lusa that the IBGE figures represent good news but warned that educational inequalities in the country remain vast.
According to Costin, the drop in adult illiteracy mirrors a steady improvement in childhood literacy indicators, which will continue to reduce illiteracy across future generations.
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The quality of schooling has been improving, which will ensure that there are not as many illiterate individuals in the coming years, the expert stated. However, the educator highlighted that these inequalities were severely exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, a period when schools remained totally or partially closed for two years, disproportionately impacting the most vulnerable students.
Costin stated that students from higher-income families had better conditions to maintain their studies during school closures, while poorer students faced immense difficulties accessing books, computers, and internet connections.
The specialist also observed that the heavy concentration of illiteracy among individuals aged 60 or older reflects a deep historical delay in Brazil’s universalization of access to basic education. The former Global Director for Education at the World Bank recalled that access to primary school in Brazil was only universalized in the final decade of the 20th century, while the final years of elementary school reached universal access only in the first decade of the 21st century.
This is a debt that Brazil owes to these elderly citizens, she stated, while defending the expansion of education opportunities for youth and adults.
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Claudia Costin emphasized that the fresh data clearly reveals significant progress in educational access and overall schooling levels among the population, including higher education. However, she concluded with a caveat that profound inequalities linked to household income, race, and geographic region of residence still persist across the South American nation.
