Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Kuwait

Kuwait: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes was 126,488 in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
126,488
Change on year
down 4.6%
World rank
44th
of 59 countries
All-time high
239,341
in 1995
All-time low
111,855
in 2005
Years of data
12
1995–2020

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Kuwait, 1995–2020

050.0k100.0k150.0k200.0k250.0k1995200720201995: 239.3k2005: 111.9k2006: 119.4k2007: 120.0k2008: 123.3k2010: 124.2k2012: 114.3k2013: 120.0k2015: 128.0k2017: 128.7k2018: 132.6k2020: 126.5k

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

The most recent figure for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Kuwait is 126,488, measured in 2020.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.6% on the previous year and up 1.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Kuwait peaked at 239,341 in 1995 and was at its lowest, 111,855, in 2005.

That places Kuwait 44th out of 59 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 12 years of available data.

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Kuwait, year by year

Annual values for Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes (number) in Kuwait, 1995 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1995 239,341
2005 111,855 -53.3%
2006 119,356 +6.7%
2007 120,009 +0.5%
2008 123,333 +2.8%
2010 124,242 +0.7%
2012 114,340 -8.0%
2013 119,968 +4.9%
2015 127,953 +6.7%
2017 128,700 +0.6%
2018 132,602 +3.0%
2020 126,488 -4.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 239,341 239,341 239,341 1
2000s 118,638 111,855 123,333 4
2010s 124,634 114,340 132,602 6
2020s 126,488 126,488 126,488 1

Countries ranked near Kuwait

  1. 41 Timor-Leste 270,094 compare
  2. 42 Paraguay 252,998 compare
  3. 43 Panama 130,592 compare
  4. 45 Spain 121,292 compare
  5. 46 United Arab Emirates 102,819 compare
  6. 47 Oman 97,887 compare

See the full ranking of 262 places →

More education data for Kuwait

All data for Kuwait →

Frequently asked questions

What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Kuwait?
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Kuwait was 126,488 in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in Kuwait?
The highest recorded value was 239,341 in 1995.
What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in Kuwait?
The lowest recorded value was 111,855 in 2005.
How does Kuwait rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes?
Kuwait ranks 44th out of 59 countries with data for 2020.
Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in Kuwait?
Over the last ten years it is up 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Kuwait 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 — 12 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Kuwait. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/adult-illiterate-population-15-years-both-sexes-number-2/kuwait/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://education.statizoid.com/stat/adult-illiterate-population-15-years-both-sexes-number-2/kuwait/">Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Kuwait</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
262 places, 6,930 data points, 1989–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release