Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: North Africa (unsdcode:98103)
ECA: North Africa (unsdcode:98103): Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes was 47.01 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
47.01 million
Change on year
down 0.2%
Rank
109th
of 203 groups
All-time high
47.09 million
in 2023
All-time low
39.42 million
in 2004
Years of data
36
1989–2024
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: North Africa (unsdcode:98103), 1989–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: North Africa (unsdcode:98103) is 47.01 million, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and up 12.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: North Africa (unsdcode:98103) peaked at 47.09 million in 2023 and was at its lowest, 39.42 million, in 2004.
ECA: North Africa (unsdcode:98103) ranks 109th 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: North Africa (unsdcode:98103), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 41.87 million | — |
| 1990 | 41.04 million | -2.0% |
| 1991 | 41.32 million | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 41.57 million | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 42.22 million | +1.6% |
| 1994 | 42.58 million | +0.9% |
| 1995 | 42.90 million | +0.8% |
| 1996 | 43.03 million | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 43.08 million | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 43.11 million | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 43.22 million | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 43.35 million | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 43.16 million | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 43.17 million | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 39.49 million | -8.5% |
| 2004 | 39.42 million | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 39.72 million | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 45.94 million | +15.7% |
| 2007 | 46.07 million | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 45.76 million | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 44.80 million | -2.1% |
| 2010 | 44.76 million | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 42.74 million | -4.5% |
| 2012 | 41.58 million | -2.7% |
| 2013 | 40.42 million | -2.8% |
| 2014 | 41.89 million | +3.7% |
| 2015 | 41.73 million | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 46.73 million | +12.0% |
| 2017 | 46.55 million | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 46.57 million | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 46.76 million | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 46.90 million | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 46.93 million | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 46.95 million | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 47.09 million | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 47.01 million | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 41.87 million | 41.87 million | 41.87 million | 1 |
| 1990s | 42.41 million | 41.04 million | 43.22 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 43.09 million | 39.42 million | 46.07 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 43.97 million | 40.42 million | 46.76 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 46.98 million | 46.90 million | 47.09 million | 5 |
More education data for ECA: North Africa (unsdcode:98103)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.32 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 3.62 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 13.41 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 4.35 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 13.06 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 4.75 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 26.47 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 17.47 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.9256 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 4.59 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: North Africa (unsdcode:98103)?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: North Africa (unsdcode:98103) was 47.01 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in ECA: North Africa (unsdcode:98103)?
- The highest recorded value was 47.09 million in 2023.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in ECA: North Africa (unsdcode:98103)?
- The lowest recorded value was 39.42 million in 2004.
- How does ECA: North Africa (unsdcode:98103) rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes?
- ECA: North Africa (unsdcode:98103) ranks 109th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in ECA: North Africa (unsdcode:98103)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ECA: North Africa (unsdcode:98103) 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