Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Latin America & Caribbean (excluding High Income)
WB: Latin America & Caribbean (excluding High Income): Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes was 24.30 million in 2024. ▼ Falling
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Latin America & Caribbean (excluding High Income), 2003–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
WB: Latin America & Caribbean (excluding High Income) recorded 24.30 million for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 22 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.0% on the previous year and down 14.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Latin America & Caribbean (excluding High Income) peaked at 36.57 million in 2003 and was at its lowest, 24.30 million, in 2024.
That places WB: Latin America & Caribbean (excluding High Income) 133rd out of 203 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 22 years of available data.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Latin America & Caribbean (excluding High Income), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 36.57 million | — |
| 2004 | 35.94 million | -1.7% |
| 2005 | 36.48 million | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 36.32 million | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 33.68 million | -7.3% |
| 2008 | 32.87 million | -2.4% |
| 2009 | 32.48 million | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 33.04 million | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 30.20 million | -8.6% |
| 2012 | 29.26 million | -3.1% |
| 2013 | 29.80 million | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 28.37 million | -4.8% |
| 2015 | 28.28 million | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 26.82 million | -5.2% |
| 2017 | 27.04 million | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 26.58 million | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 26.18 million | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 26.30 million | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 25.78 million | -2.0% |
| 2022 | 25.21 million | -2.2% |
| 2023 | 24.80 million | -1.6% |
| 2024 | 24.30 million | -2.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 34.90 million | 32.48 million | 36.57 million | 7 |
| 2010s | 28.56 million | 26.18 million | 33.04 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.28 million | 24.30 million | 26.30 million | 5 |
More education data for WB: Latin America & Caribbean (excluding High Income)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 2.79 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.7495 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 28.66 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.4904 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 29.16 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.8527 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 57.82 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate -0.2089 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate -0.2209 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 18.36 million (2024)
All data for WB: Latin America & Caribbean (excluding High Income) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Latin America & Caribbean (excluding High Income)?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Latin America & Caribbean (excluding High Income) was 24.30 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in WB: Latin America & Caribbean (excluding High Income)?
- The highest recorded value was 36.57 million in 2003.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in WB: Latin America & Caribbean (excluding High Income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.30 million in 2024.
- How does WB: Latin America & Caribbean (excluding High Income) rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes?
- WB: Latin America & Caribbean (excluding High Income) ranks 133rd out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in WB: Latin America & Caribbean (excluding High Income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this WB: Latin America & Caribbean (excluding High Income) 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