Filipinos who attained at least a high school education posted significantly higher literacy rates, according to the latest report from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
In its 2024 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS) released Tuesday, the PSA revealed that basic literacy among individuals aged 5 years and older surged past 90% for those who reached high school and beyond. The highest basic literacy rate—98%—was recorded among those who finished post-baccalaureate studies. In contrast, only 25.6% of those who never attended school demonstrated basic literacy.
The PSA defines basic literacy as the ability to read and write a simple message and perform basic mathematical tasks in any language or dialect.
Functional literacy, which includes more advanced skills like comprehension and integration of information, also showed a similar pattern. Among Filipinos aged 10 to 64, those with at least high school education exceeded the national functional literacy average of 70.8%.
The highest functional literacy rate—93.2%—was also seen among post-baccalaureate holders, while those with no formal education showed the lowest at 10.8%.
The PSA stressed the critical role of educational attainment in improving literacy, highlighting the need to support access to education to boost both basic and functional literacy across the country.
