Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108)
ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108): Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes was 102.14 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
102.14 million
Change on year
up 2.5%
Rank
77th
of 203 groups
All-time high
102.14 million
in 2024
All-time low
56.14 million
in 1990
Years of data
36
1989–2024
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108), 1989–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108) recorded 102.14 million for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in 2024. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.5% on the previous year and up 13.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108) peaked at 102.14 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 56.14 million, in 1990.
ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108) ranks 77th of 203 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 56.91 million | — |
| 1990 | 56.14 million | -1.4% |
| 1991 | 56.86 million | +1.3% |
| 1992 | 57.61 million | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 58.43 million | +1.4% |
| 1994 | 59.24 million | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 60.86 million | +2.7% |
| 1996 | 61.60 million | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 62.28 million | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 62.90 million | +1.0% |
| 1999 | 63.73 million | +1.3% |
| 2000 | 71.01 million | +11.4% |
| 2001 | 71.39 million | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 72.44 million | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 73.62 million | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 73.55 million | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 74.98 million | +1.9% |
| 2006 | 76.03 million | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 81.52 million | +7.2% |
| 2008 | 83.14 million | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 85.54 million | +2.9% |
| 2010 | 86.95 million | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 87.45 million | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 88.45 million | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 89.27 million | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 90.41 million | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 91.19 million | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 92.51 million | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 92.98 million | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 87.17 million | -6.3% |
| 2019 | 90.45 million | +3.8% |
| 2020 | 92.98 million | +2.8% |
| 2021 | 95.13 million | +2.3% |
| 2022 | 97.29 million | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 99.64 million | +2.4% |
| 2024 | 102.14 million | +2.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 56.91 million | 56.91 million | 56.91 million | 1 |
| 1990s | 59.97 million | 56.14 million | 63.73 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 76.32 million | 71.01 million | 85.54 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 89.68 million | 86.95 million | 92.98 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 97.44 million | 92.98 million | 102.14 million | 5 |
More education data for ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 1.54 million (2020)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 0.8591 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 4.48 % change on previous year (2020)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 2.26 million (2020)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 6.66 % change on previous year (2020)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 947,845 (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 873,576 (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 5.35 % change on previous year (2020)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 6.60 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 3.80 million (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108)?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108) was 102.14 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108)?
- The highest recorded value was 102.14 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108)?
- The lowest recorded value was 56.14 million in 1990.
- How does ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108) rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes?
- ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108) ranks 77th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108) data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release