Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)
ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500): Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes was 58.08 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
58.08 million
Change on year
up 0.3%
Rank
102nd
of 203 groups
All-time high
58.08 million
in 2024
All-time low
49.26 million
in 2004
Years of data
36
1989–2024
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500), 1989–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) recorded 58.08 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 0.3% on the previous year and up 11.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) peaked at 58.08 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 49.26 million, in 2004.
ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) ranks 102nd 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 ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 53.99 million | — |
| 1990 | 52.90 million | -2.0% |
| 1991 | 52.79 million | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 53.05 million | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 53.62 million | +1.1% |
| 1994 | 53.99 million | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 54.23 million | +0.5% |
| 1996 | 54.17 million | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 54.04 million | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 53.81 million | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 53.73 million | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 53.71 million | -0.0% |
| 2001 | 53.34 million | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 53.07 million | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 49.44 million | -6.8% |
| 2004 | 49.26 million | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 49.51 million | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 55.95 million | +13.0% |
| 2007 | 55.88 million | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 55.91 million | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 55.27 million | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 55.34 million | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 52.71 million | -4.8% |
| 2012 | 51.96 million | -1.4% |
| 2013 | 50.70 million | -2.4% |
| 2014 | 51.88 million | +2.3% |
| 2015 | 51.21 million | -1.3% |
| 2016 | 56.17 million | +9.7% |
| 2017 | 55.86 million | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 56.28 million | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 56.70 million | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 57.01 million | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 57.17 million | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 57.41 million | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 57.89 million | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 58.08 million | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 53.99 million | 53.99 million | 53.99 million | 1 |
| 1990s | 53.63 million | 52.79 million | 54.23 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 53.13 million | 49.26 million | 55.95 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 53.88 million | 50.70 million | 56.70 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 57.51 million | 57.01 million | 58.08 million | 5 |
More education data for ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 2.28 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.3069 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 17.81 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.01 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 16.59 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.304 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 34.40 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 25.89 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.4368 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 5.68 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) was 58.08 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)?
- The highest recorded value was 58.08 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)?
- The lowest recorded value was 49.26 million in 2004.
- How does ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes?
- ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) ranks 102nd out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) 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