literacy
Refers to the ability to read and write. Often used in compound terms like 識字率 (literacy rate) or 識字教育 (literacy education).
The literacy rate in this region exceeds 90 percent.
識字教育は発展途上国で重要な課題だ。
Literacy education is an important issue in developing countries.
literacy rate
illiteracy
literacy education
Compound of 識 (knowledge, discrimination) and 字 (character, letter). The combination directly conveys the concept of recognizing written characters.