Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in MDG: Eastern Asia (excluding China)

MDG: Eastern Asia (excluding China): Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes was 1.05 million in 2019. ▼ Falling

Latest (2019)
1.05 million
Change on year
down 0.7%
Rank
184th
of 203 groups
All-time high
1.78 million
in 2002
All-time low
1.05 million
in 2019
Years of data
18
2002–2019

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in MDG: Eastern Asia (excluding China), 2002–2019

0500.0k1.0M1.5M2.0M2002201020192002: 1.8M2003: 1.8M2004: 1.7M2005: 1.6M2006: 1.6M2007: 1.5M2008: 1.5M2009: 1.5M2010: 1.5M2011: 1.5M2012: 1.4M2013: 1.4M2014: 1.3M2015: 1.2M2016: 1.2M2017: 1.1M2018: 1.1M2019: 1.0M

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

In 2019, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in MDG: Eastern Asia (excluding China) stood at 1.05 million. That is the lowest value across all 18 years on record.

The figure is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 28.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in MDG: Eastern Asia (excluding China) peaked at 1.78 million in 2002 and was at its lowest, 1.05 million, in 2019.

That places MDG: Eastern Asia (excluding China) 184th out of 203 groups with data for 2019, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 18 years of available data.

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in MDG: Eastern Asia (excluding China), year by year

Annual values for Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes (number) in MDG: Eastern Asia (excluding China), 2002 to 2019.
Year Value Change
2002 1.78 million
2003 1.75 million -1.6%
2004 1.70 million -3.1%
2005 1.64 million -3.1%
2006 1.61 million -2.1%
2007 1.54 million -4.3%
2008 1.50 million -2.6%
2009 1.47 million -2.1%
2010 1.50 million +2.3%
2011 1.47 million -2.4%
2012 1.41 million -3.8%
2013 1.38 million -1.9%
2014 1.25 million -9.5%
2015 1.20 million -4.2%
2016 1.15 million -3.8%
2017 1.10 million -4.9%
2018 1.05 million -4.0%
2019 1.05 million -0.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 1.62 million 1.47 million 1.78 million 8
2010s 1.26 million 1.05 million 1.50 million 10

More education data for MDG: Eastern Asia (excluding China)

All data for MDG: Eastern Asia (excluding China) →

Frequently asked questions

What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in MDG: Eastern Asia (excluding China)?
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in MDG: Eastern Asia (excluding China) was 1.05 million in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in MDG: Eastern Asia (excluding China)?
The highest recorded value was 1.78 million in 2002.
What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in MDG: Eastern Asia (excluding China)?
The lowest recorded value was 1.05 million in 2019.
How does MDG: Eastern Asia (excluding China) rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes?
MDG: Eastern Asia (excluding China) ranks 184th out of 203 groups with data for 2019.
Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in MDG: Eastern Asia (excluding China)?
Over the last ten years it is down 28.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this MDG: Eastern Asia (excluding China) 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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Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in MDG: Eastern Asia (excluding China). Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 12 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/adult-illiterate-population-15-years-both-sexes-number-2/mdg-eastern-asia-excluding-china/

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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