Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Ecuador
Ecuador: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes was 487,709 in 2022. ▼ Falling
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Ecuador, 2001–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
Ecuador recorded 487,709 for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 31.6% on the previous year and down 41.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Ecuador peaked at 867,076 in 2011 and was at its lowest, 487,709, in 2022.
Ecuador ranks 36th of 59 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Ecuador, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 733,729 | — |
| 2007 | 744,330 | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 733,106 | -1.5% |
| 2009 | 765,756 | +4.5% |
| 2010 | 820,103 | +7.1% |
| 2011 | 867,076 | +5.7% |
| 2012 | 838,813 | -3.3% |
| 2013 | 727,019 | -13.3% |
| 2014 | 640,867 | -11.9% |
| 2015 | 629,996 | -1.7% |
| 2016 | 657,553 | +4.4% |
| 2017 | 845,514 | +28.6% |
| 2020 | 813,679 | -3.8% |
| 2021 | 712,712 | -12.4% |
| 2022 | 487,709 | -31.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 744,230 | 733,106 | 765,756 | 4 |
| 2010s | 753,368 | 629,996 | 867,076 | 8 |
| 2020s | 671,367 | 487,709 | 813,679 | 3 |
Countries ranked near Ecuador
- 33 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 635,106 compare
- 34 Saudi Arabia 539,462 compare
- 35 Chile 529,430 compare
- 37 El Salvador 483,465 compare
- 38 Dominican Republic 476,215 compare
- 39 Jordan 453,607 compare
More education data for Ecuador
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 5,078 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 288,731 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 291,075 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.79 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.72 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -2.72 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0951 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Ecuador?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Ecuador was 487,709 in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in Ecuador?
- The highest recorded value was 867,076 in 2011.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in Ecuador?
- The lowest recorded value was 487,709 in 2022.
- How does Ecuador rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes?
- Ecuador ranks 36th out of 59 countries with data for 2022.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in Ecuador?
- Over the last ten years it is down 41.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ecuador 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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CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release