Overview

• Observed worldwide on September 8 each year, the day was proclaimed by UNESCO in 1966 after the 1965 Tehran conference, with the first observance in 1967.
• UNESCO set this year’s theme as “Promoting Literacy in the Digital Era,” with related emphasis on multilingual education for inclusion and peace.
• UNESCO data indicate at least 739 million youth and adults lacked basic literacy in 2024, four in ten children are below minimum reading proficiency, and 272 million were out of school in 2023.
• The literacy agenda now encompasses digital and media skills, defined as the ability to access, manage, evaluate and create information safely using digital technologies.
• Experts highlight both opportunity and risk in digitalisation, citing the digital divide, privacy concerns, reinforced biases and potential double exclusion from learning and technology.