How many Filipinos graduated illiterate?

Around 18.9 million Filipino junior and senior high school graduates (2019-2024) are functionally illiterate, meaning they struggle with basic reading, writing, and comprehension despite graduating, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). This figure highlights a major education crisis, showing that many graduates lack genuine learning, with about 21% of senior high graduates and 5.58 million junior high graduates failing to meet the new functional literacy standards.

How many graduates in the Philippines are illiterate?

Despite years spent in school, a staggering 18.9 million Filipino junior and senior high school graduates from 2019 to 2024 are considered functionally illiterate, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

How many people in the Philippines are not educated?

The Philippines is undergoing an education crisis. 24 million Filipinos aged 10-64 are functionally illiterate, with 5.8 million being basically illiterate. The World Bank reports that 91% of Filipino children aged 10 struggle to read simple text, a rate that has been worsened by the Covid 19 pandemic.

Is illiteracy a problem in the Philippines?

In the past three decades, the number of functionally illiterate Filipinos has nearly doubled to 24.8 million in 2024, from 14.5 million in 1993 according to the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2).

Why is the Philippines ranked lowest in literacy?

Underfunding, under-qualification, under-development. The education sector is underfunded, with the country spending only 3.6% of its GDP on it, below the UNESCO-recommended 4-6%. Infrastructure is a persistent issue with many schools lacking basic resources such as books and personnel.

PH education system under scrutiny amid high number of functionally illiterate graduates | ANC

How many students in the Philippines can't read?

Almost 19 million junior, senior high graduates can't read A total of 18.96 million Filipino students who graduated from senior high school and junior high school in 2024 cannot read and understand a simple story, according to data presented at a Senate hearing on Wednesday, April 30, 2025.

What is the biggest problem in education today in the Philippines?

For years, the Philippine education system has faced big challenges—classroom shortages, poor learning outcomes, limited financing, and bureaucratic processes that slow down service delivery.

What is the top 10 highest literacy rate in the Philippines?

👏 Here are your Top 10: Apayao – 95.2% Benguet (excluding Baguio) – 94.9% Romblon – 94.6% Nueva Ecija – 94.23% Bohol – 94.22% Rizal – 94.20% South Cotabato (excluding GenSan) – 93.7% Bataan – 93.64% Cavite – 93.56% Bulacan – 93.5% The FLEMMS is a national survey guiding policy and program development to improve ...

What percentage of Filipinos have a college degree?

50% of Filipino Americans ages 25 and older have a bachelor's (39%) or advanced degree (12%). Among Asians overall, 56% have a bachelor's degree or higher. Filipino immigrants 25 and older are more likely to have a bachelor's degree or higher than those born in the U.S. (52% vs.

What are the top 3 problems in the Philippines?

The top issues in the Philippines frequently cited include pervasive poverty and inequality, significant corruption, and severe human rights concerns, particularly regarding extrajudicial killings and attacks on activists; alongside these are major challenges in infrastructure, worsening environmental degradation and climate vulnerability, and persistent issues with education, healthcare access, and labor rights, making for a complex development landscape. 

What is the top 1 educated country?

There isn't one single "No. 1" educated country, as rankings vary by metric, but Canada, South Korea, and Japan consistently rank at the top for high tertiary (post-secondary) education attainment, with Canada often leading in the percentage of adults with degrees (around 63-65%), while South Korea excels in youth attainment (over 70% for 25-34 year olds) and overall literacy. Other top contenders include Ireland, the UK, and the US, depending on the specific data set (like OECD or World Population Review). 

What is the dropout rate in the Philippines?

“Recent figures showed that four out of ten students who enter higher education in the Philippines do not make it to the finish line. That's a 39 percent attrition rate.

What does functionally illiterate mean in the Philippines?

Meaning they graduated from our basic education system, but they cannot read, they cannot understand, and comprehend a simple story,” said Gatchalian. According to the senator, this should not happen, considering that the very “basic goal” of education is for students to become functionally literate.

Where is the Philippines ranked in education?

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) said Tuesday it is stepping up reforms in basic education as the Philippines ranked 74th out of 177 countries in the Global Education Futures Readiness Index (GEFRI) 2025.

How many students can't read?

Statewide, 44 percent of 11th grade students (seniors are not tested) failed to meet reading standards, meaning that close to half of our juniors lack basic reading proficiency.

What are the causes of illiteracy?

The social causes of illiteracy are: lack of funds for education; poverty; isolation; hunger; and education systems imposed from outside. Millions of people speak non-transcribed languages. Many live in environments and conditions where written communications is not necessary or available.

Why are Philippine universities falling behind in global rankings?

Despite growing visibility in global rankings, Philippine universities continue to underperform in research productivity and international collaboration. The former metric is the most important in QS' methodology for ranking schools.

Why are the Philippines ranked lowest in reading comprehension?

MANILA - Filipino students ranked last among 79 countries in a global survey of reading comprehension because they are more used to narrative instead of informative text materials, a group said Thursday.

Which country ranks 1 in literacy rate?

Andorra is one such country with virtually 100% of its populace being literate. A part of Southwestern Europe, its government directs by law that every child between the ages of 6 and 16 is required to submit to compulsory attendance within its school systems.

How literate are Filipinos?

For every 10 Filipinos, 9 have Basic Literacy, While 7 have Functional Literacy (Final Results) The 2024 FLEMMS found that 90% of Filipinos aged 5 and above—around 93.09 million people—can read, write, and do basic math out of an estimated 103.46 million in that age group.

Which country has the lowest literacy in the world?

State of Literacy Around the World

• 86% of people older than 15 years globally are literate (Our World in Data, CIA World Factbook).
• Burkina Faso (38%), Niger (19%) and South Sudan (32%) are the countries with the lowest literacy (CIA World Factbook).

What percentage of people can read in the Philippines?

According to the 2024 Functional Literacy, Education, and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS), 93.1% of respondents are basically literate, or able to read, write, and compute; however, only 70.8% are functionally literate, or able to also comprehend.

What is the Philippines ranked in English?

Philippines falls in English proficiency ranking but still the second best among its peers in the region. The Philippines slipped six spots to 28th out of 123 countries in the 2025 edition of the English Proficiency Index by international education company Education First.