The knowledge divide is the gap between those who can find, create, manage, process, and disseminate information or knowledge, and those who are impaired in this process. According to a 2005 UNESCO World Report, the rise in the 21st century of a global information society has resulted in the emergence of knowledge as a valuable resource, increasingly determining who has access to power and profit. The rapid dissemination of information on a potentially global scale as a result of new information media and the globally uneven ability to assimilate knowledge and information has resulted in potentially expanding gaps in knowledge between nations. The knowledge gap also applies to smaller communities. Knowledge divides exists between races, gender, socioeconomic status and more. Knowledge divide speaks to knowledge that is not made available or accessible to everyone.
The digital divide has become an extension of the knowledge divide, dividing people who have access to the internet and those who do not. The knowledge divide also represents the inequalities of knowledge amongst different identities, including but nor limited to race, economic status, and gender.