Brady Lund, Amanda Hovious, Jeonghyun Kim
Abstract Data literacy has gained significant momentum as an essential lifelong learning competency to address challenges arising from growth in the availability and accessibility of data. Much work has been done to address the data literacy gap, including both conceptual and empirical pieces from a wide range of disciplines. This paper critically reviews the literature on data literacy to provide a deeper understanding of how it is conceptualized, framed, and assessed across different contexts. Through a systematic search of the literature from various academic fields published from 2000 to 2025, relevant works in this area were identified and evaluated. By adopting a critical review approach, we conducted a conceptual analysis of data literacy by tracing its evolution, examining current interpretations, and exploring the theoretical frameworks that underpin it, including competency‐based models, critical theory approaches, and learning‐centered perspectives. The review also discusses emerging perspectives and gaps in the conceptual understanding of data literacy, highlighting areas for future research and scholarly inquiry.