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

Madagascar: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes was 3.93 million number in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
3.93 million number
World rank
24th
of 87 countries
All-time high
4.16 million number
in 2005
All-time low
2.52 million number
in 2000
Years of data
5
2000–2018

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Madagascar, 2000–2018

01.0M2.0M3.0M4.0M2000200920182000: 2.5M number2005: 4.2M number2009: 4.1M number2012: 3.6M number2018: 3.9M number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

The most recent figure for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Madagascar is 3.93 million number, measured in 2018.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Madagascar peaked at 4.16 million number in 2005 and was at its lowest, 2.52 million number, in 2000.

Madagascar ranks 24th of 87 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

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

Annual values for Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes (number) in Madagascar, 2000 to 2018.
Year number Change
2000 2.52 million number
2005 4.16 million number +64.9%
2009 4.10 million number -1.3%
2012 3.63 million number -11.6%
2018 3.93 million number +8.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 3.59 million number 2.52 million number 4.16 million number 3
2010s 3.78 million number 3.63 million number 3.93 million number 2

Countries ranked near Madagascar

  1. 21 South Africa 5.23 million number compare
  2. 22 Mexico 4.27 million number compare
  3. 23 Senegal 4.24 million number compare
  4. 25 Benin 3.81 million number compare
  5. 26 Viet Nam 3.67 million number compare
  6. 27 Thailand 3.59 million number compare

See the full ranking of 126 places →

More education data for Madagascar

All data for Madagascar →

Frequently asked questions

What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Madagascar?
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Madagascar was 3.93 million number in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in Madagascar?
The highest recorded value was 4.16 million number in 2005.
What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in Madagascar?
The lowest recorded value was 2.52 million number in 2000.
How does Madagascar rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes?
Madagascar ranks 24th out of 87 countries with data for 2018.
Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in Madagascar?
Over the last ten years it is down 4.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Madagascar 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 Madagascar. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/adult-illiterate-population-15-years-both-sexes-number/madagascar/

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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.