Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Türkiye
Türkiye: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes was 1.77 million in 2021. ▼ Falling
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Türkiye, 2004–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2021, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Türkiye stood at 1.77 million. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 13.6% on the previous year and down 45.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Türkiye peaked at 6.12 million in 2004 and was at its lowest, 1.77 million, in 2021.
Türkiye ranks 22nd of 59 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Türkiye, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 6.12 million | — |
| 2005 | 5.81 million | -5.0% |
| 2006 | 5.96 million | +2.5% |
| 2007 | 5.79 million | -2.9% |
| 2009 | 4.83 million | -16.5% |
| 2010 | 3.93 million | -18.6% |
| 2011 | 3.23 million | -17.9% |
| 2012 | 2.83 million | -12.2% |
| 2013 | 2.69 million | -5.0% |
| 2014 | 2.64 million | -2.0% |
| 2015 | 2.59 million | -1.8% |
| 2016 | 2.48 million | -4.2% |
| 2017 | 2.34 million | -5.5% |
| 2019 | 2.05 million | -12.7% |
| 2021 | 1.77 million | -13.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5.70 million | 4.83 million | 6.12 million | 5 |
| 2010s | 2.75 million | 2.05 million | 3.93 million | 9 |
| 2020s | 1.77 million | 1.77 million | 1.77 million | 1 |
Countries ranked near Türkiye
More education data for Türkiye
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 788,294 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 184,302 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.05 million (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 980,973 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 12.31 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 5.54 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.87 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0649 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Türkiye?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Türkiye was 1.77 million in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in Türkiye?
- The highest recorded value was 6.12 million in 2004.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in Türkiye?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.77 million in 2021.
- How does Türkiye rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes?
- Türkiye ranks 22nd out of 59 countries with data for 2021.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in Türkiye?
- Over the last ten years it is down 45.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Türkiye 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 — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release