Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Spain
Spain: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes was 121,292 in 2021. ▼ Falling
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Spain, 2004–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Spain is 121,292, measured in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 16 years on record.
The figure is down 78.7% on the previous year and down 86.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Spain peaked at 1.03 million in 2004 and was at its lowest, 121,292, in 2021.
Spain ranks 45th of 59 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 16 years of available data.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Spain, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 1.03 million | — |
| 2005 | 832,149 | -19.3% |
| 2006 | 845,859 | +1.6% |
| 2007 | 790,495 | -6.5% |
| 2008 | 923,406 | +16.8% |
| 2009 | 913,851 | -1.0% |
| 2010 | 889,470 | -2.7% |
| 2011 | 877,726 | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 835,466 | -4.8% |
| 2013 | 761,183 | -8.9% |
| 2014 | 751,826 | -1.2% |
| 2015 | 731,553 | -2.7% |
| 2016 | 689,507 | -5.7% |
| 2018 | 620,480 | -10.0% |
| 2020 | 568,732 | -8.3% |
| 2021 | 121,292 | -78.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 889,563 | 790,495 | 1.03 million | 6 |
| 2010s | 769,651 | 620,480 | 889,470 | 8 |
| 2020s | 345,012 | 121,292 | 568,732 | 2 |
Countries ranked near Spain
More education data for Spain
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 37,817 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 570,954 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 538,977 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.71 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.83 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.08 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.058 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 Spain?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Spain was 121,292 in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in Spain?
- The highest recorded value was 1.03 million in 2004.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in Spain?
- The lowest recorded value was 121,292 in 2021.
- How does Spain rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes?
- Spain ranks 45th out of 59 countries with data for 2021.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in Spain?
- Over the last ten years it is down 86.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Spain 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 — 16 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release