Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Philippines
Philippines: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes was 1.17 million in 2020. ▼ Falling
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Philippines, 1990–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Philippines is 1.17 million, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 10 years on record.
The figure is down 58.2% on the previous year and down 34.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Philippines peaked at 3.83 million in 2003 and was at its lowest, 1.17 million, in 2020.
That places Philippines 29th 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 10 years of available data.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Philippines, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2.32 million | — |
| 1994 | 2.43 million | +5.0% |
| 2000 | 3.53 million | +45.1% |
| 2003 | 3.83 million | +8.5% |
| 2008 | 2.68 million | -30.1% |
| 2010 | 1.78 million | -33.5% |
| 2013 | 2.38 million | +33.8% |
| 2015 | 1.26 million | -47.2% |
| 2019 | 2.80 million | +122.9% |
| 2020 | 1.17 million | -58.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.37 million | 2.32 million | 2.43 million | 2 |
| 2000s | 3.34 million | 2.68 million | 3.83 million | 3 |
| 2010s | 2.05 million | 1.26 million | 2.80 million | 4 |
| 2020s | 1.17 million | 1.17 million | 1.17 million | 1 |
Countries ranked near Philippines
More education data for Philippines
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 201,568 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.06 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 983,812 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 11.87 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 13.06 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.8345 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1128 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Philippines?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Philippines was 1.17 million in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in Philippines?
- The highest recorded value was 3.83 million in 2003.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in Philippines?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.17 million in 2020.
- How does Philippines rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes?
- Philippines ranks 29th out of 59 countries with data for 2020.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in Philippines?
- Over the last ten years it is down 34.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Philippines 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 — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release