Kerala tops in literacy rate at 96.2%, while AP worst at 66.4%

New Delhi: With 96.2 per cent literacy, Kerala has once again emerged as the most literate state in the country, while Andhra Pradesh featured at the bottom with a rate of 66.4 per cent, showed a report based on National Statistical Office (NSO) survey.

The report on 'Household Social Consumption: Education in India as part of 75th round of National Sample Survey - from July 2017 to June 2018' provides for state-wise detail of literacy rate among the persons aged seven years and above.

According to the study, after Kerala, Delhi has the best literacy rate at 88.7 per cent, followed by Uttarakhand's 87.6 per cent, Himachal Pradesh's 86.6 per cent and Assam's at 85.9 per cent.

On the other hand, Rajasthan is the second worst performer with literacy rate at 69.7 per cent, followed by Bihar at 70.9 per cent, Telangana at 72.8 per cent, Uttar Pradesh at 73 per cent and Madhya Pradesh at 73.7 per cent.

The study has pegged the overall literacy rate in the country at about 77.7 per cent. In rural areas, the literacy rate is 73.5 per cent compared to 87.7 per cent in urban areas of the country. At all-India level, the male literacy rate is higher at 84.7 per cent compared to 70.3 per cent among women.

The survey showed that the male literacy rate is higher than female literacy rate among all states.

In Kerala, the male literacy rate is 97.4 per cent compared to 95.2 per cent among females. Similarly, the male literacy rate in Delhi stood a 93.7 per cent higher than 82.4 per cent among females. Even in the worst performing states, there was a considerable gap in male and female literacy rate.

In Andhra Pradesh, male literacy rate is 73.4 per cent, higher than 59.5 per cent among females (of the age of seven year or above).

In Rajasthan, the gap was even wider as male literacy rate stood at 80.8 per cent compared to 57.6 per cent of females. In Bihar, the male literacy rate was also higher at 79.7 per cent compared to 60.5 per cent of females.