The table shows estimated literacy rates for men and women in 2000-2004 in five regions: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania. It also shows average world literacy rates for both genders for the same years.
According to the table, Europe has the highest literacy rates, reaching almost 99%. There is virtually no difference in literacy rates for European men and women.
In Oceania and the Americas, the figures for both men and women are almost the same. In both regions over 93% of the population is literate.
In both Asia and Africa, there are considerable differences in literacy rates between men and women. In Asia, only 72. 5% of women are literate, whereas the figure for Asian men is 13% higher. In Africa, the gap is nearly double, with 53. 9% of all African women being literate and 71. 6% of the African men being able to read and write.
Overall, around 82% of the world population is literate. In Europe, Oceania and the Americas the literacy rates are the highest, with over 90% of the population able to read and write. Asia and Africa have lower literacy rates than the other regions in the graph. 
The table  
shows
 estimated  
literacy
  rates
 for  
men
 and  
women
 in 2000-2004 in five regions: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania. It  
also
  shows
 average world  
literacy
  rates
 for both genders for the same years.
According to the table, Europe has the highest  
literacy
  rates
, reaching almost 99%. There is  
virtually
 no difference in  
literacy
  rates
 for European  
men
 and women.
In Oceania and the Americas, the figures for both  
men
 and  
women
 are almost the same. In both regions over 93% of the population is literate. 
In
 both Asia and Africa, there are considerable differences in  
literacy
  rates
 between  
men
 and  
women
.  
In
 Asia,  
only
 72. 5% of  
women
 are literate, whereas the figure for Asian  
men
 is 13% higher. In Africa, the gap is  
nearly
 double, with 53. 9% of all African  
women
 being literate and 71. 6% of the African  
men
 being able to read and write. 
Overall
, around 82% of the world population is literate. In Europe, Oceania and the Americas the  
literacy
  rates
 are the highest, with over 90% of the population able to read and write. Asia and Africa have lower  
literacy
  rates
 than the other regions in the graph.