Muslims have the highest number of illiterates — nearly 43 percent of their population — while Jains have the highest number of literates among India’s religious communities with over 86 percent of them educated.
According to the Census 2011 data, Jains have just 13.57 percent illiterates aged seven and above among all communities.
The census has taken those between 0 and 6 years as illiterate.
Muslims have the highest percentage of illiterates aged beyond seven years at 42.72.
This number is 36.4 per cent for Hindus, 32.49 per cent for Sikhs, 28.17 per cent for Buddhists, and 25.66 per cent for Christians, as per the latest census figure on ‘education level by religious community’ for age seven years and above.
Jains have the highest percentage of educated members who are graduates and above.
The overall literacy rates among all communities have gone up since 2001. The percentage of those literate among Hindus is up from 54.92 per cent in 2001 to 63.6 per cent in 2011, while the corresponding rise for Muslims is 48.05 percent to 57.28 percent.
Among Muslims, just 2.76 percent are educated till graduation level or above.
