Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ECLAC: All Countries (unsdcode:98300)

ECLAC: All Countries (unsdcode:98300): Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes was 25.70 million in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
25.70 million
Change on year
down 2.0%
Rank
125th
of 203 groups
All-time high
41.72 million
in 2001
All-time low
25.70 million
in 2024
Years of data
24
2001–2024

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ECLAC: All Countries (unsdcode:98300), 2001–2024

010.0M20.0M30.0M40.0M2001201220242001: 41.7M2002: 41.1M2003: 38.9M2004: 38.2M2005: 38.7M2006: 38.3M2007: 35.4M2008: 34.5M2009: 34.1M2010: 34.9M2011: 32.2M2012: 31.3M2013: 31.9M2014: 30.1M2015: 30.0M2016: 28.4M2017: 28.7M2018: 28.2M2019: 27.7M2020: 27.8M2021: 27.3M2022: 26.7M2023: 26.2M2024: 25.7M

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

In 2024, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ECLAC: All Countries (unsdcode:98300) stood at 25.70 million. That is the lowest value across all 24 years on record.

That represents a change of down 2.0% on the previous year and down 14.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ECLAC: All Countries (unsdcode:98300) peaked at 41.72 million in 2001 and was at its lowest, 25.70 million, in 2024.

That places ECLAC: All Countries (unsdcode:98300) 125th out of 203 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ECLAC: All Countries (unsdcode:98300), year by year

Annual values for Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes (number) in ECLAC: All Countries (unsdcode:98300), 2001 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2001 41.72 million
2002 41.12 million -1.5%
2003 38.86 million -5.5%
2004 38.21 million -1.7%
2005 38.74 million +1.4%
2006 38.34 million -1.0%
2007 35.36 million -7.8%
2008 34.52 million -2.4%
2009 34.15 million -1.1%
2010 34.90 million +2.2%
2011 32.25 million -7.6%
2012 31.28 million -3.0%
2013 31.88 million +1.9%
2014 30.14 million -5.5%
2015 29.97 million -0.6%
2016 28.38 million -5.3%
2017 28.66 million +1.0%
2018 28.16 million -1.8%
2019 27.72 million -1.6%
2020 27.80 million +0.3%
2021 27.26 million -2.0%
2022 26.65 million -2.2%
2023 26.23 million -1.6%
2024 25.70 million -2.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 37.89 million 34.15 million 41.72 million 9
2010s 30.34 million 27.72 million 34.90 million 10
2020s 26.73 million 25.70 million 27.80 million 5

More education data for ECLAC: All Countries (unsdcode:98300)

All data for ECLAC: All Countries (unsdcode:98300) →

Frequently asked questions

What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ECLAC: All Countries (unsdcode:98300)?
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ECLAC: All Countries (unsdcode:98300) was 25.70 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in ECLAC: All Countries (unsdcode:98300)?
The highest recorded value was 41.72 million in 2001.
What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in ECLAC: All Countries (unsdcode:98300)?
The lowest recorded value was 25.70 million in 2024.
How does ECLAC: All Countries (unsdcode:98300) rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes?
ECLAC: All Countries (unsdcode:98300) ranks 125th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in ECLAC: All Countries (unsdcode:98300)?
Over the last ten years it is down 14.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this ECLAC: All Countries (unsdcode:98300) 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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Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ECLAC: All Countries (unsdcode:98300). Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/adult-illiterate-population-15-years-both-sexes-number-2/eclac-all-countries-unsdcode-98300/

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About this data

Indicator
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
262 places, 6,930 data points, 1989–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release