An insight into Kerala’s Education Model
Based on recent data as of September 2025, Kerala has indeed surpassed the United States in overall literacy rate. This is a notable achievement for the Indian state, often attributed to its long-standing focus on education, social reforms, and equitable access. However, it’s worth noting that literacy definitions and measurement methods differ slightly between the two—India’s rates (from surveys like the Periodic Labour Force Survey or PLFS) typically measure basic reading/writing ability for ages 7+, while US data (from the National Center for Education Statistics or PIAAC) often assesses functional prose literacy (understanding everyday texts) for ages 16+. Despite this, Kerala’s rate comfortably exceeds the US national average. Kerala has an edge here: The state’s rate has climbed steadily from 93.91% in the 2011 Census to over 95% today, driven by universal schooling, adult education drives (e.g., Akshara Sausthava campaign), and low dropout rate...