Literacy rates and average income (2005) region literacy rate average income (per capita in us dollars) european union 98.9 $36,329 latin america & caribbean 89.9 $5,540 middle east & north africa 73.0 $2,794 south asia 58.4 $880 sub-saharan africa 59.3 $952 what can best be concluded from the information in this chart? a) east asia is the poorest region in the world. b) latin american education is constantly improving. c) education and economic success are closely linked. d) people in the middle east and north africa are illiterate.