Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in SDG: Small Island Developing States
SDG: Small Island Developing States: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes was 8.36 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in SDG: Small Island Developing States, 1989–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in SDG: Small Island Developing States is 8.36 million, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.4% on the previous year and up 13.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in SDG: Small Island Developing States peaked at 8.36 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 6.38 million, in 2000.
That places SDG: Small Island Developing States 161st out of 203 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in SDG: Small Island Developing States, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 6.72 million | — |
| 1990 | 6.62 million | -1.5% |
| 1991 | 6.62 million | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 6.60 million | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 6.59 million | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 6.58 million | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 6.56 million | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 6.51 million | -0.7% |
| 1997 | 6.48 million | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 6.48 million | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 6.48 million | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 6.38 million | -1.4% |
| 2001 | 6.41 million | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 6.42 million | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 6.42 million | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 6.41 million | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 6.39 million | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 7.14 million | +11.9% |
| 2007 | 7.12 million | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 7.12 million | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 7.24 million | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 7.34 million | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 7.32 million | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 7.37 million | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 7.39 million | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 7.38 million | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 7.43 million | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 7.36 million | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 7.48 million | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 7.58 million | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 7.69 million | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 7.82 million | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 7.92 million | +1.2% |
| 2022 | 8.13 million | +2.7% |
| 2023 | 8.24 million | +1.4% |
| 2024 | 8.36 million | +1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 6.72 million | 6.72 million | 6.72 million | 1 |
| 1990s | 6.55 million | 6.48 million | 6.62 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.70 million | 6.38 million | 7.24 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.44 million | 7.32 million | 7.69 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.09 million | 7.82 million | 8.36 million | 5 |
More education data for SDG: Small Island Developing States
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 2.27 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 2.24 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate -0.1626 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.33 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.03 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 430,327 (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate -0.1765 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -0.0678 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 0.021 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate -0.756 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in SDG: Small Island Developing States?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in SDG: Small Island Developing States was 8.36 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in SDG: Small Island Developing States?
- The highest recorded value was 8.36 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in SDG: Small Island Developing States?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.38 million in 2000.
- How does SDG: Small Island Developing States rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes?
- SDG: Small Island Developing States ranks 161st out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in SDG: Small Island Developing States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this SDG: Small Island Developing States 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