Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: Lldc (lldc_e) (unsdcode:98412)
ESCAP: Lldc (lldc_e) (unsdcode:98412): Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes was 20.81 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: Lldc (lldc_e) (unsdcode:98412), 1989–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
ESCAP: Lldc (lldc_e) (unsdcode:98412) recorded 20.81 million for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in 2024. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.8% on the previous year and up 13.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: Lldc (lldc_e) (unsdcode:98412) peaked at 20.81 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 14.31 million, in 1990.
That places ESCAP: Lldc (lldc_e) (unsdcode:98412) 146th out of 203 groups with data for 2024, putting it 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 ESCAP: Lldc (lldc_e) (unsdcode:98412), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 14.45 million | — |
| 1990 | 14.31 million | -1.0% |
| 1991 | 14.34 million | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 14.57 million | +1.6% |
| 1993 | 15.26 million | +4.8% |
| 1994 | 15.92 million | +4.3% |
| 1995 | 16.27 million | +2.2% |
| 1996 | 16.37 million | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 16.57 million | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 16.34 million | -1.4% |
| 1999 | 16.36 million | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 16.56 million | +1.2% |
| 2001 | 16.50 million | -0.4% |
| 2002 | 16.65 million | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 17.21 million | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 17.52 million | +1.8% |
| 2005 | 17.68 million | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 18.07 million | +2.2% |
| 2007 | 18.22 million | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 18.09 million | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 18.14 million | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 18.92 million | +4.2% |
| 2011 | 19.00 million | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 19.22 million | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 19.31 million | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 18.40 million | -4.7% |
| 2015 | 18.50 million | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 18.43 million | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 18.35 million | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 20.00 million | +9.0% |
| 2019 | 20.09 million | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 20.32 million | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 20.55 million | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 20.66 million | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 20.65 million | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 20.81 million | +0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 14.45 million | 14.45 million | 14.45 million | 1 |
| 1990s | 15.63 million | 14.31 million | 16.57 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 17.46 million | 16.50 million | 18.22 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.02 million | 18.35 million | 20.09 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.60 million | 20.32 million | 20.81 million | 5 |
More education data for ESCAP: Lldc (lldc_e) (unsdcode:98412)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 96.1% (2024)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 95.5% (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female 8.95 million (2024)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in vocational 3.9% (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male 10.50 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes 5.77 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes 731,983 (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male 10.74 million (2024)
- School age population, upper secondary education, male 4.55 million (2024)
- School age population, upper secondary education, female 4.34 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: Lldc (lldc_e) (unsdcode:98412)?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: Lldc (lldc_e) (unsdcode:98412) was 20.81 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in ESCAP: Lldc (lldc_e) (unsdcode:98412)?
- The highest recorded value was 20.81 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in ESCAP: Lldc (lldc_e) (unsdcode:98412)?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.31 million in 1990.
- How does ESCAP: Lldc (lldc_e) (unsdcode:98412) rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes?
- ESCAP: Lldc (lldc_e) (unsdcode:98412) ranks 146th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in ESCAP: Lldc (lldc_e) (unsdcode:98412)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ESCAP: Lldc (lldc_e) (unsdcode:98412) 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