Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Upper Middle Income (july 2025)
WB: Upper Middle Income (july 2025): Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes was 86.75 million in 2024. ▼ Falling
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Upper Middle Income (july 2025), 1989–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Upper Middle Income (july 2025) is 86.75 million, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
That represents a change of down 2.8% on the previous year and down 20.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Upper Middle Income (july 2025) peaked at 298.98 million in 1989 and was at its lowest, 86.75 million, in 2024.
That places WB: Upper Middle Income (july 2025) 84th 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 36 years of available data.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Upper Middle Income (july 2025), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 298.98 million | — |
| 1990 | 288.05 million | -3.7% |
| 1991 | 283.78 million | -1.5% |
| 1992 | 278.70 million | -1.8% |
| 1993 | 273.48 million | -1.9% |
| 1994 | 268.21 million | -1.9% |
| 1995 | 262.24 million | -2.2% |
| 1996 | 257.58 million | -1.8% |
| 1997 | 189.55 million | -26.4% |
| 1998 | 185.52 million | -2.1% |
| 1999 | 181.73 million | -2.0% |
| 2000 | 177.12 million | -2.5% |
| 2001 | 174.10 million | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 170.73 million | -1.9% |
| 2003 | 165.28 million | -3.2% |
| 2004 | 161.52 million | -2.3% |
| 2005 | 159.13 million | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 156.09 million | -1.9% |
| 2007 | 138.57 million | -11.2% |
| 2008 | 131.69 million | -5.0% |
| 2009 | 125.57 million | -4.6% |
| 2010 | 124.77 million | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 121.53 million | -2.6% |
| 2012 | 117.13 million | -3.6% |
| 2013 | 116.34 million | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 109.40 million | -6.0% |
| 2015 | 107.48 million | -1.8% |
| 2016 | 103.55 million | -3.7% |
| 2017 | 103.63 million | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 101.12 million | -2.4% |
| 2019 | 95.56 million | -5.5% |
| 2020 | 93.97 million | -1.7% |
| 2021 | 94.02 million | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 91.41 million | -2.8% |
| 2023 | 89.21 million | -2.4% |
| 2024 | 86.75 million | -2.8% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Upper Middle Income (july 2025) changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | -26.4% | 257.58 million | 189.55 million |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 298.98 million | 298.98 million | 298.98 million | 1 |
| 1990s | 246.89 million | 181.73 million | 288.05 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 155.98 million | 125.57 million | 177.12 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 110.05 million | 95.56 million | 124.77 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 91.07 million | 86.75 million | 94.02 million | 5 |
More education data for WB: Upper Middle Income (july 2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 123.94 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 112.37 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.9825 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 13.41 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 1.68 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 233.28 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.3514 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.5256 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 38.36 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 35.41 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Upper Middle Income (july 2025)?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in WB: Upper Middle Income (july 2025) was 86.75 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in WB: Upper Middle Income (july 2025)?
- The highest recorded value was 298.98 million in 1989.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in WB: Upper Middle Income (july 2025)?
- The lowest recorded value was 86.75 million in 2024.
- How does WB: Upper Middle Income (july 2025) rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes?
- WB: Upper Middle Income (july 2025) ranks 84th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in WB: Upper Middle Income (july 2025)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this WB: Upper Middle Income (july 2025) 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