Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Colombia

Colombia: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes was 1.87 million number in 2018. ▼ Falling

Latest (2018)
1.87 million number
Change on year
down 4.2%
World rank
34th
of 87 countries
All-time high
2.33 million number
in 2006
All-time low
1.87 million number
in 2018
Years of data
14
1993–2018

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Colombia, 1993–2018

0500.0k1.0M1.5M2.0M2.5M1993200520181993: 2.0M number1996: 2.1M number2004: 2.1M number2005: 2.1M number2006: 2.3M number2007: 2.3M number2008: 2.1M number2009: 2.2M number2010: 2.2M number2011: 2.2M number2014: 2.0M number2015: 2.1M number2016: 2.0M number2018: 1.9M number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

Colombia recorded 1.87 million number for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in 2018. That is the lowest value across all 14 years on record.

That represents a change of down 4.2% on the previous year and down 10.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Colombia peaked at 2.33 million number in 2006 and was at its lowest, 1.87 million number, in 2018.

Colombia ranks 34th of 87 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 14 years of available data.

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Colombia, year by year

Annual values for Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes (number) in Colombia, 1993 to 2018.
Year number Change
1993 2.03 million number
1996 2.15 million number +5.5%
2004 2.09 million number -2.4%
2005 2.13 million number +1.5%
2006 2.33 million number +9.8%
2007 2.28 million number -2.4%
2008 2.09 million number -8.1%
2009 2.18 million number +4.1%
2010 2.18 million number -0.0%
2011 2.15 million number -1.4%
2014 2.05 million number -4.8%
2015 2.06 million number +0.8%
2016 1.96 million number -5.2%
2018 1.87 million number -4.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 2.09 million number 2.03 million number 2.15 million number 2
2000s 2.18 million number 2.09 million number 2.33 million number 6
2010s 2.05 million number 1.87 million number 2.18 million number 6

Countries ranked near Colombia

  1. 31 Türkiye 2.38 million number compare
  2. 32 Cambodia 2.07 million number compare
  3. 33 Rwanda 1.97 million number compare
  4. 35 Guatemala 1.87 million number compare
  5. 36 Burundi 1.85 million number compare
  6. 37 Tunisia 1.77 million number compare

See the full ranking of 126 places →

More education data for Colombia

All data for Colombia →

Frequently asked questions

What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Colombia?
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Colombia was 1.87 million number in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in Colombia?
The highest recorded value was 2.33 million number in 2006.
What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in Colombia?
The lowest recorded value was 1.87 million number in 2018.
How does Colombia rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes?
Colombia ranks 34th out of 87 countries with data for 2018.
Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in Colombia?
Over the last ten years it is down 10.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Colombia 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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Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Colombia. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/adult-illiterate-population-15-years-both-sexes-number/colombia/

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About this data

Indicator
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
126 places, 2,267 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Total number of adults over age 15 who cannot both read and write with understanding a short simple statement on their everyday life.