Algeria_ The illiteracy rate in Algeria dropped to 4.7 percent during 2026, compared to 7.4 percent in 2022, according to data from the National Office for Literacy and Adult Education, while figures on beneficiaries reveal the continued large presence of women in literacy programs.

The number of enrollers in literacy classes during the past academic year reached 262,443 learners, of whom women constituted 91 percent, according to the Director of the National Office for Literacy and Adult Education.

This figure not only shows the extent of women’s demand for literacy programs but also raises questions about the historical gap in access to education, particularly for women who did not have the opportunity to receive education in their childhood, before finding in adult education programs a chance to catch up on an educational path that was interrupted early.

From Teaching Reading and Writing to Regaining Life Opportunities

Literacy programs in Algeria aim to go beyond teaching reading and writing toward enabling beneficiaries to continue their educational and training paths.

In this context, 2,434 people moved to distance education programs during 2026, while 313 learners joined vocational training, opening up the possibility for beneficiaries to move from literacy to education and training, and then to social and professional integration.

The programs also included groups with special needs, including 919 learners in national solidarity centers across 26 provinces, in addition to 306 blind individuals who benefited from the program using Braille technology.

Literacy programs are also moving toward leveraging technology, through the digitization of some books and curricula used in the teaching and learning process.

Sétif Hosts the Official Celebration

On the occasion of International Literacy Day, which falls on September 8 each year, the Houari Boumediene Cultural House in Sétif hosted the official commemoration of this occasion yesterday, Tuesday, with the participation of more than 800 actors in the field of literacy from ten different provinces.

This year's occasion came under the slogan "Literacy for Peoples... the Planet and Prosperity," at a time when official data confirms that literacy is no longer only about learning to read and write, but has become linked to acquiring knowledge and skills, and enhancing individuals' ability to participate in society and development.

While Algeria records a continuous decline in the illiteracy rate, women remain at the heart of this path, having constituted more than nine‑tenths of those enrolled in literacy programs. This proportion makes the issue of adult women's education more than just an educational file, given its connection to independence, access to information and services, and the ability to participate economically and socially.