Days Until International Literacy Day

About International Literacy Day

September 8 was designated by UNESCO in 1966, aiming to highlight the importance of literacy for individuals, communities, and societies, and to draw attention to the substantial global literacy gap that remains.

It's one of the longer-running UN-system observances on this list, marked annually with a specific thematic focus chosen by UNESCO each year.

UNESCO estimates hundreds of millions of adults worldwide still lack basic literacy skills, a gap this observance was specifically created to keep on the international policy agenda nearly six decades after its founding.

UNESCO's literacy statistics have shown significant regional gaps, with youth literacy rates considerably higher than adult literacy rates in several developing regions, reflecting decades of expanded access to schooling for younger generations.

UNESCO's literacy campaigns tied to the day have increasingly emphasized digital literacy alongside traditional reading and writing skills, reflecting how the practical definition of literacy has broadened in the internet era.