Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Singapore
Singapore: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes was 79,258 in 2021. ▼ Falling
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Singapore, 2000–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Singapore is 79,258, measured in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 13 years on record.
The figure is down 15.7% on the previous year and down 30.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Singapore peaked at 190,085 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 79,258, in 2021.
Singapore ranks 48th of 59 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 13 years of available data.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Singapore, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 190,085 | — |
| 2010 | 121,534 | -36.1% |
| 2011 | 113,242 | -6.8% |
| 2012 | 109,053 | -3.7% |
| 2013 | 104,845 | -3.9% |
| 2014 | 100,735 | -3.9% |
| 2015 | 98,321 | -2.4% |
| 2016 | 92,765 | -5.7% |
| 2017 | 88,953 | -4.1% |
| 2018 | 85,257 | -4.2% |
| 2019 | 81,733 | -4.1% |
| 2020 | 93,996 | +15.0% |
| 2021 | 79,258 | -15.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 190,085 | 190,085 | 190,085 | 1 |
| 2010s | 99,644 | 81,733 | 121,534 | 10 |
| 2020s | 86,627 | 79,258 | 93,996 | 2 |
Countries ranked near Singapore
More education data for Singapore
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 13,601 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 336 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 9,429 (1989)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 8,429 (1989)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 163,746 (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 238,816 (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.4 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0404 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Singapore?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Singapore was 79,258 in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in Singapore?
- The highest recorded value was 190,085 in 2000.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in Singapore?
- The lowest recorded value was 79,258 in 2021.
- How does Singapore rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes?
- Singapore ranks 48th out of 59 countries with data for 2021.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in Singapore?
- Over the last ten years it is down 30.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Singapore 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 — 13 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release