le: NA%

Azerbaijan:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 97%

male: 99%

female: 96% (1989 est.)

Bahamas, The:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 98.2%

male: 98.5%

female: 98% (1995 est.)

Bahrain:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 85.2%

male: 89.1%

female: 79.4% (1995 est.)

Bangladesh:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 56%

male: 63%

female: 49% (2000 est.)

Barbados:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school

total population: 97.4%

male: 98%

female: 96.8% (1995 est.)

Belarus:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 98%

male: 99%

female: 97% (1989 est.)

Belgium:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 98%

male: NA%

female: NA%

Belize:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 70.3%

male: 70.3%

female: 70.3% (1991 est.)

note: other sources list the literacy rate as high as 75%

Benin:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 37.5%

male: 52.2%

female: 23.6% (2000)

Bermuda:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 98%

male: 98%

female: 99% (1970 est.)

Bhutan:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 42.2%

male: 56.2%

female: 28.1% (1995 est.)

Bolivia:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 83.1%

male: 90.5%

female: 76% (1995 est.)

Bosnia and Herzegovina:
definition: NA

total population: NA%

male: NA%

female: NA%

Botswana:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 69.8%

male: 80.5%

female: 59.9% (1995 est.)

Brazil:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 83.3%

male: 83.3%

female: 83.2% (1995 est.)

British Virgin Islands:
definition: age 15 and over can read and
write

total population: 97.8% (1991 est.)

male: NA%

female: NA%

Brunei:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 88.2%

male: 92.6%

female: 83.4% (1995 est.)

Bulgaria:
definition: age 15 and over can read and