Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)
ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104): Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes was 22.37 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
22.37 million
Change on year
up 0.2%
Rank
139th
of 203 groups
All-time high
22.67 million
in 2017
All-time low
17.01 million
in 1990
Years of data
36
1989–2024
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104), 1989–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) is 22.37 million, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 16.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) peaked at 22.67 million in 2017 and was at its lowest, 17.01 million, in 1990.
ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) ranks 139th 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: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 17.32 million | — |
| 1990 | 17.01 million | -1.8% |
| 1991 | 18.12 million | +6.5% |
| 1992 | 18.55 million | +2.3% |
| 1993 | 18.65 million | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 18.92 million | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 18.76 million | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 18.91 million | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 18.97 million | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 19.04 million | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 18.63 million | -2.2% |
| 2000 | 18.68 million | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 18.70 million | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 18.02 million | -3.6% |
| 2003 | 18.20 million | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 17.85 million | -2.0% |
| 2005 | 18.24 million | +2.2% |
| 2006 | 19.13 million | +4.9% |
| 2007 | 20.10 million | +5.1% |
| 2008 | 20.56 million | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 19.84 million | -3.5% |
| 2010 | 19.27 million | -2.9% |
| 2011 | 19.28 million | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 19.15 million | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 19.07 million | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 19.19 million | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 19.66 million | +2.4% |
| 2016 | 19.54 million | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 22.67 million | +16.0% |
| 2018 | 21.64 million | -4.5% |
| 2019 | 18.63 million | -13.9% |
| 2020 | 19.29 million | +3.5% |
| 2021 | 22.03 million | +14.2% |
| 2022 | 22.17 million | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 22.32 million | +0.7% |
| 2024 | 22.37 million | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 17.32 million | 17.32 million | 17.32 million | 1 |
| 1990s | 18.56 million | 17.01 million | 19.04 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 18.93 million | 17.85 million | 20.56 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.81 million | 18.63 million | 22.67 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.64 million | 19.29 million | 22.37 million | 5 |
More education data for ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 7.02 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 0.2683 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 2.24 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 2.46 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 5.01 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.9 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 7.14 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 2.08 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.6859 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 14.16 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) was 22.37 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)?
- The highest recorded value was 22.67 million in 2017.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.01 million in 1990.
- How does ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes?
- ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) ranks 139th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) 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