Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400)
ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400): Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes was 414.26 million in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
414.26 million
Change on year
down 1.5%
Rank
14th
of 203 groups
All-time high
686.52 million
in 1992
All-time low
414.26 million
in 2024
Years of data
33
1992–2024
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400), 1992–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400) recorded 414.26 million for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 33 years on record.
The figure is down 1.5% on the previous year and down 12.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400) peaked at 686.52 million in 1992 and was at its lowest, 414.26 million, in 2024.
That places ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400) 14th out of 203 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 686.52 million | — |
| 1993 | 678.06 million | -1.2% |
| 1994 | 669.73 million | -1.2% |
| 1995 | 660.56 million | -1.4% |
| 1996 | 652.84 million | -1.2% |
| 1997 | 580.87 million | -11.0% |
| 1998 | 539.82 million | -7.1% |
| 1999 | 533.01 million | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 525.43 million | -1.4% |
| 2001 | 528.35 million | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 526.38 million | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 522.49 million | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 520.11 million | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 526.28 million | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 530.46 million | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 512.83 million | -3.3% |
| 2008 | 505.53 million | -1.4% |
| 2009 | 499.77 million | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 480.13 million | -3.9% |
| 2011 | 484.56 million | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 487.33 million | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 482.12 million | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 472.56 million | -2.0% |
| 2015 | 460.35 million | -2.6% |
| 2016 | 447.68 million | -2.8% |
| 2017 | 443.92 million | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 442.67 million | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 448.76 million | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 441.83 million | -1.5% |
| 2021 | 434.77 million | -1.6% |
| 2022 | 426.65 million | -1.9% |
| 2023 | 420.50 million | -1.4% |
| 2024 | 414.26 million | -1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 625.18 million | 533.01 million | 686.52 million | 8 |
| 2000s | 519.76 million | 499.77 million | 530.46 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 465.01 million | 442.67 million | 487.33 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 427.60 million | 414.26 million | 441.83 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400)
More education data for ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 167.63 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 2.56 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 83.60 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 2.48 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 84.03 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 5.77 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 12.93 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 2.52 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual -0.2668 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 203.58 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400)?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400) was 414.26 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400)?
- The highest recorded value was 686.52 million in 1992.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400)?
- The lowest recorded value was 414.26 million in 2024.
- How does ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400) rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes?
- ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400) ranks 14th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400) 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