Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in SDG: Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand)
SDG: Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand): Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes was 2.73 million in 2021. ▲ Rising
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in SDG: Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand), 1994–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in SDG: Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand) is 2.73 million, measured in 2021. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.5% on the previous year and up 33.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in SDG: Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand) peaked at 2.73 million in 2021 and was at its lowest, 1.35 million, in 1994.
That places SDG: Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand) 174th out of 203 groups with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in SDG: Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 1.35 million | — |
| 1995 | 1.40 million | +3.7% |
| 1996 | 1.43 million | +2.2% |
| 1997 | 1.46 million | +2.2% |
| 1998 | 1.49 million | +2.3% |
| 1999 | 1.53 million | +2.5% |
| 2000 | 1.58 million | +2.8% |
| 2001 | 1.61 million | +2.3% |
| 2002 | 1.65 million | +2.3% |
| 2003 | 1.69 million | +2.3% |
| 2004 | 1.73 million | +2.3% |
| 2005 | 1.77 million | +2.3% |
| 2006 | 1.81 million | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 1.85 million | +2.3% |
| 2008 | 1.89 million | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 1.93 million | +2.2% |
| 2010 | 1.97 million | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 2.04 million | +3.3% |
| 2012 | 2.11 million | +3.2% |
| 2013 | 2.17 million | +3.1% |
| 2017 | 2.45 million | +13.0% |
| 2018 | 2.52 million | +2.9% |
| 2019 | 2.59 million | +2.8% |
| 2020 | 2.66 million | +2.7% |
| 2021 | 2.73 million | +2.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.44 million | 1.35 million | 1.53 million | 6 |
| 2000s | 1.75 million | 1.58 million | 1.93 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.27 million | 1.97 million | 2.59 million | 7 |
| 2020s | 2.70 million | 2.66 million | 2.73 million | 2 |
More education data for SDG: Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.87 % change on previous year (2019)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 844,702 (2019)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 1.9 % change on previous year (2019)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.80 million (2019)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 242,341 (2019)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 261,464 (2019)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 78,205 (2019)
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 29,186 (2017)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 1.2 % change on previous year (2000)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 503,805 (2019)
All data for SDG: Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in SDG: Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand)?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in SDG: Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand) was 2.73 million in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in SDG: Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand)?
- The highest recorded value was 2.73 million in 2021.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in SDG: Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand)?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.35 million in 1994.
- How does SDG: Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand) rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes?
- SDG: Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand) ranks 174th out of 203 groups with data for 2021.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in SDG: Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 33.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this SDG: Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand) 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 — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release