According to the results of the final results of the 1993 Population and Housing census, in the Dominican Republic 640,989 male and 676,108 females over five years old do not know how to read or write. These are at least five years old. This represents 21% of the total population. Of the total 531,038 live in rural areas and 776,323 in cities. The cities with the least number of illiterates are Santo Domingo with 12%, La Romana, San Pedro and Santiago with 16.3%, and 17.06% and 18%. Illiteracy is highest in the frontier areas and some southwestern provinces – Elías Piña, 44.1%; Azua, 36.1%; San Juan de la Maguana, 35.4%; Bahoruco, 36%; Independencia, 34.1%; and Pedernales, 31%.
