ILLITERACY (front Lit. itinerants, unedu cated, from in-, not -f- literatus, educated, from liter', littera, letter). The condition of one who cannot read and write his own language. As used in the Unitcd States Census, the term in cludes also those who can read but not write.
There are several methods of determining the percentage of illiterates, and unfortunately the various ttations follow different plans. Sonic statisticians prefer to base their estimates on the number of applicants for marriage licenses who cannot sign their names. Most of the Euro pean countries rind the percentage front the ex aminations of the recruits for the army and navy, thus confining the test to men of a certain age. In the United States the census makes in quiry of each person, and takes his or her word, there being no test of any sort. In all coun tries, children under a certain age are not in cluded, as it is not expected that they should know how to read and write. The age taken naturally affects the percentage. The United States does not count children under ten; Italy fixes the age at six. Naturally, the country which hest enforces compulsory school attendance M ill show the lowest percentage.
The report of the United States Commissioner of Education for 1900 contains the following table for the different countries: It is a no•dter of regret that the United States cannot stand at the head of this list, hut the rensus gives the percentage as 10.7. thus placing the country between England and Belgium. The situation'. however, is improving. The census of 1900 says: "Not only has there been an absolute decrease in the number of illiterates since 1880, although a much larger Indian population is eomprehended by the figures of the present cen sus than heretofore. but the illiterate population now represents less than one-ninth of the entire population considered as compared with a little than one-sixth in I8S0." That much re
mains to he done is evident from the fact that 10.9 per cent. of the voters are illiterate. Of the total number of illiterates, 15.5 per cent. could read, hut not write. The illiteracy of the whites was 6.2 per cent., as compared with 44.5 per cent. of the negroes. The native whites have a per centage of 0.2. as against 12.9 per cent, of the foreign-born whites. It may seem curious that whites of native parents show a percentage of 5.7 to 1.6 for whites born of foreign parents, but the explanation is that a very large proportion of the native born are living in country districts, while whites of foreign parents are largely in the towns and cities and have better school facilities. This fact suggests a comparison of city and eoun try. The rate of illiteracy among white males over twenty-one years of age in cities of 25,000 and over, and for those outside the cities, is shown for various parts of the country by the following table: The high average in the Southern States is to be explained by the lack of proper school facili ties in the rural districts. The illiteracy of the negroes is very large, but is steadily decreasing. The show a percentage of 56.2.
Within the various States there is also great divergency in the percentages, showing unequal conditions. Taking one State from each division of the country and showing the average illiteracy of the white males of voting age, and also the highest percentage in any county in the State, gives the following: Comparing the sexes. the males constitute 48.7 per cent, of the illiterates. the females 51.3 per cent. Consult: Census of thc United Stairs, 1900, vol. H.; Annual Reports of the Commis sioner of Education (Washington) ; Reports of 'Ministers and Departments of Education of vari ous European countries.