Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439)
ESCAP: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439): Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes was 165.51 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439), 1989–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
ESCAP: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439) recorded 165.51 million for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in 2024. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.3% on the previous year and up 21.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439) peaked at 165.51 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 88.52 million, in 1990.
ESCAP: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439) ranks 53rd of 203 groups on this measure, 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: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 89.23 million | — |
| 1990 | 88.52 million | -0.8% |
| 1991 | 90.24 million | +2.0% |
| 1992 | 92.47 million | +2.5% |
| 1993 | 94.78 million | +2.5% |
| 1994 | 96.92 million | +2.3% |
| 1995 | 99.66 million | +2.8% |
| 1996 | 101.68 million | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 102.69 million | +1.0% |
| 1998 | 103.78 million | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 105.09 million | +1.3% |
| 2000 | 107.07 million | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 108.20 million | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 109.81 million | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 112.23 million | +2.2% |
| 2004 | 114.50 million | +2.0% |
| 2005 | 116.89 million | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 125.70 million | +7.5% |
| 2007 | 126.65 million | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 129.12 million | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 131.65 million | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 132.77 million | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 130.37 million | -1.8% |
| 2012 | 132.92 million | +2.0% |
| 2013 | 134.39 million | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 136.52 million | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 138.01 million | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 139.66 million | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 140.06 million | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 143.33 million | +2.3% |
| 2019 | 148.10 million | +3.3% |
| 2020 | 152.44 million | +2.9% |
| 2021 | 155.65 million | +2.1% |
| 2022 | 158.62 million | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 161.83 million | +2.0% |
| 2024 | 165.51 million | +2.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 89.23 million | 89.23 million | 89.23 million | 1 |
| 1990s | 97.58 million | 88.52 million | 105.09 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 118.18 million | 107.07 million | 131.65 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 137.61 million | 130.37 million | 148.10 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 158.81 million | 152.44 million | 165.51 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near ESCAP: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439)
More education data for ESCAP: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 19.65 million (2022)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 5.13 % change on previous year (2020)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 6.22 million (2020)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 1.77 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 13.73 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 2.53 % change on previous year (2022)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 23.86 million (2022)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 3.26 % change on previous year (2022)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.02 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 45.48 million (2024)
All data for ESCAP: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439)?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ESCAP: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439) was 165.51 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in ESCAP: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439)?
- The highest recorded value was 165.51 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in ESCAP: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439)?
- The lowest recorded value was 88.52 million in 1990.
- How does ESCAP: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439) rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes?
- ESCAP: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439) ranks 53rd out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in ESCAP: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ESCAP: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439) 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 — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release