The 2003 Functional Literacy, Education, and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS) is a national survey that gathers information on basic and functional literacy status of the population, their educational and skills qualifications, and exposure to mass media. The survey covered 25,697 households and 75,558 persons aged 10 to 64 years.

The 2003 FLEMMS is the third in a series of functional literacy surveys conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO). The first two rounds were taken in 1989 and 1994, also by the NSO, which is mandated to conduct the survey every five years. The Literacy Coordinating Council (LCC) and the Department of Education (DepEd) provided assistance in the design and development of the questionnaires used in the 2003 survey.  The results of the 2008 FLEMMS is now being processed and is set to be released during the 1st quarter of 2010.

• A Primer on Analysis of the 2003 FLEMMS

Results of 2003 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS) 10-64 Years Old by Sex, by Region, Philippines

Basic Literacy Rate – 93.4% or 57,904,712

• Male Basic Literacy Rate – 92.6% or 28,724,520

• Female Basic Literacy Rate – 94.3% or 29,180,192

Basic Illiteracy Rate – 6.6% or 4,059,288

• Male Basic Illiteracy Rate – 7.4% or 2,295,480

• Female Basic Illiteracy Rate – 5.7% or 1,763,808

Functional Literacy Rate – 84.1% or 48,424,776

• Male Functional Literacy Rate – 81.9% or 23,707,593

• Female Functional Literacy Rate – 86.3% or 24,717,183

Functional Illiteracy Rate – 15.9% or 9,163,224

• Male Functional Illiteracy Rate – 18.1% or 5,239,407

• Female Functional Illiteracy Rate – 13.7% or 3,923,817