Introduction Illiteracy is defined as the inability to read and write, and it is a common phenomenon in all countries across the world. There is no society that has 100% literate members, which is quite worrying because it implies that all educational systems across the world are yet to achieve the ultimate level of efficiency in facilitating reading and writing skills (Whitfield, 2016). Illiteracy is a major problem because it hinders development in nations. In a world where communication is a primary requirement for economic development, having illiterate citizens in a nation implies that they are not actively involved in the national labor force. This is because employment and innovation are functions of literacy. Discussion The lack of sufficient education is caused by the lack of infrastructure at the national level to facilitate education to every member of society. This is the main reason that the highest levels of illiteracy are seen in developing nations. In such nations, large numbers of citizens cannot access schools. Additionally, the cost of education in such countries is relatively high, which implies that only financially stable citizens have access to quality education. The cost and access to opportunities to gain an education is also a major cause of illiteracy in the developed economies, where members of the lower class are subjected to high costs of living; thus, they cannot afford education. Illiteracy is also a function of having uneducated parents in societies where it is relatively easy to access education. Parents with insufficient education are not likely to emphasize the need for their children to get an education. On the contrary, they are likely to advocate for their children to stay at home and engage in activities that enhance their survival without engaging in the search for formal jobs (Pavlova, 2014). The reverse is seen to be true in contemporary society, whereby highly literate parents are likely to put emphasis on their children to pursue higher levels of education. Illiteracy is also caused by the presence of a high level of unemployment in a nation, especially with reference to the educated (Ziesemer, 2016). If the majority of the educated are not getting job placement, members of the society are likely to refrain from getting any formal education. This is because the opportunity cost of attaining formal education outweighs the benefits of education. Society would be inclined toward finding other ways of earning a living, and they would not spend money on tuition fees and other costs associated with formal education. Social restrictions are also major contributors to illiteracy in society. People with different cultural backgrounds are likely to observe traditions that might affect the ability of the members of society to attain an education. For instance, in some communities, educating females is prohibited because they are not allowed to have formal jobs. Girls’ education has been one of the controversial issues across developing nations (Hanley, 2015). Women have struggled across the world for centuries to gain the right to attain education and compete with their male counterparts in formal employment areas (Younis, 2013). However, while women in the developed nations have triumphed in the quest