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

Uganda: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes was 5.32 million number in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
5.32 million number
World rank
20th
of 87 countries
All-time high
5.32 million number
in 2018
All-time low
4.01 million number
in 2002
Years of data
6
1991–2018

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Uganda, 1991–2018

02.0M4.0M6.0M1991200420181991: 4.1M number2002: 4.0M number2006: 4.1M number2010: 4.4M number2012: 5.3M number2018: 5.3M number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

Uganda recorded 5.32 million number for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in 2018. That is the highest value across all 6 years on record.

That represents a change of up 29.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Uganda peaked at 5.32 million number in 2018 and was at its lowest, 4.01 million number, in 2002.

That places Uganda 20th out of 87 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top quarter.

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

Annual values for Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes (number) in Uganda, 1991 to 2018.
Year number Change
1991 4.06 million number
2002 4.01 million number -1.2%
2006 4.12 million number +2.7%
2010 4.42 million number +7.3%
2012 5.28 million number +19.6%
2018 5.32 million number +0.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 4.06 million number 4.06 million number 4.06 million number 1
2000s 4.06 million number 4.01 million number 4.12 million number 2
2010s 5.01 million number 4.42 million number 5.32 million number 3

Countries ranked near Uganda

  1. 17 Mozambique 6.18 million number compare
  2. 18 Chad 5.90 million number compare
  3. 19 Algeria 5.48 million number compare
  4. 21 South Africa 5.23 million number compare
  5. 22 Mexico 4.27 million number compare
  6. 23 Senegal 4.24 million number compare

See the full ranking of 126 places →

More education data for Uganda

All data for Uganda →

Frequently asked questions

What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Uganda?
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Uganda was 5.32 million number in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in Uganda?
The highest recorded value was 5.32 million number in 2018.
What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in Uganda?
The lowest recorded value was 4.01 million number in 2002.
How does Uganda rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes?
Uganda ranks 20th out of 87 countries with data for 2018.
Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in Uganda?
Over the last ten years it is up 29.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Uganda 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 Uganda. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/adult-illiterate-population-15-years-both-sexes-number/uganda/

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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.