Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: Saarc (saarc) (unsdcode:98428)
ESCAP: Saarc (saarc) (unsdcode:98428): Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes was 339.90 million in 2024. ▼ Falling
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: Saarc (saarc) (unsdcode:98428), 1999–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
ESCAP: Saarc (saarc) (unsdcode:98428) recorded 339.90 million for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.2% on the previous year and down 8.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: Saarc (saarc) (unsdcode:98428) peaked at 387.76 million in 2007 and was at its lowest, 339.90 million, in 2024.
That places ESCAP: Saarc (saarc) (unsdcode:98428) 26th out of 203 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: Saarc (saarc) (unsdcode:98428), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 366.73 million | — |
| 2000 | 362.94 million | -1.0% |
| 2001 | 368.53 million | +1.5% |
| 2002 | 369.80 million | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 369.86 million | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 370.81 million | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 380.79 million | +2.7% |
| 2006 | 387.74 million | +1.8% |
| 2007 | 387.76 million | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 386.92 million | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 386.03 million | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 366.18 million | -5.1% |
| 2011 | 371.50 million | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 378.66 million | +1.9% |
| 2013 | 374.02 million | -1.2% |
| 2014 | 372.28 million | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 363.37 million | -2.4% |
| 2016 | 353.90 million | -2.6% |
| 2017 | 353.24 million | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 352.71 million | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 361.33 million | +2.4% |
| 2020 | 358.12 million | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 353.48 million | -1.3% |
| 2022 | 347.87 million | -1.6% |
| 2023 | 343.89 million | -1.1% |
| 2024 | 339.90 million | -1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 366.73 million | 366.73 million | 366.73 million | 1 |
| 2000s | 377.12 million | 362.94 million | 387.76 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 364.72 million | 352.71 million | 378.66 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 348.65 million | 339.90 million | 358.12 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near ESCAP: Saarc (saarc) (unsdcode:98428)
More education data for ESCAP: Saarc (saarc) (unsdcode:98428)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 7.86 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 1.24 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 26.43 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 1.81 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 25.27 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.74 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 3.69 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 1.52 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 51.70 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 6.43 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: Saarc (saarc) (unsdcode:98428)?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: Saarc (saarc) (unsdcode:98428) was 339.90 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in ESCAP: Saarc (saarc) (unsdcode:98428)?
- The highest recorded value was 387.76 million in 2007.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in ESCAP: Saarc (saarc) (unsdcode:98428)?
- The lowest recorded value was 339.90 million in 2024.
- How does ESCAP: Saarc (saarc) (unsdcode:98428) rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes?
- ESCAP: Saarc (saarc) (unsdcode:98428) ranks 26th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in ESCAP: Saarc (saarc) (unsdcode:98428)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this ESCAP: Saarc (saarc) (unsdcode:98428) 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release