Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in ECA: All Countries (unsdcode:98100)
ECA: All Countries (unsdcode:98100): Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female was 164.62 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
164.62 million
Change on year
up 1.7%
Rank
31st
of 203 groups
All-time high
164.62 million
in 2024
All-time low
105.60 million
in 1990
Years of data
36
1989–2024
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in ECA: All Countries (unsdcode:98100), 1989–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in ECA: All Countries (unsdcode:98100) is 164.62 million, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.7% on the previous year and up 13.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in ECA: All Countries (unsdcode:98100) peaked at 164.62 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 105.60 million, in 1990.
ECA: All Countries (unsdcode:98100) ranks 31st of 203 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in ECA: All Countries (unsdcode:98100), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 107.15 million | — |
| 1990 | 105.60 million | -1.5% |
| 1991 | 107.56 million | +1.9% |
| 1992 | 109.13 million | +1.5% |
| 1993 | 111.14 million | +1.8% |
| 1994 | 112.45 million | +1.2% |
| 1995 | 114.67 million | +2.0% |
| 1996 | 115.86 million | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 116.43 million | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 117.67 million | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 118.76 million | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 124.30 million | +4.7% |
| 2001 | 125.22 million | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 127.60 million | +1.9% |
| 2003 | 127.86 million | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 129.38 million | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 132.99 million | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 139.03 million | +4.5% |
| 2007 | 141.87 million | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 143.84 million | +1.4% |
| 2009 | 145.74 million | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 146.84 million | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 143.97 million | -2.0% |
| 2012 | 143.56 million | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 144.05 million | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 145.70 million | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 146.85 million | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 150.16 million | +2.3% |
| 2017 | 152.07 million | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 149.17 million | -1.9% |
| 2019 | 150.31 million | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 153.27 million | +2.0% |
| 2021 | 157.00 million | +2.4% |
| 2022 | 159.29 million | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 161.85 million | +1.6% |
| 2024 | 164.62 million | +1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 107.15 million | 107.15 million | 107.15 million | 1 |
| 1990s | 112.93 million | 105.60 million | 118.76 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 133.78 million | 124.30 million | 145.74 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 147.27 million | 143.56 million | 152.07 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 159.21 million | 153.27 million | 164.62 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near ECA: All Countries (unsdcode:98100)
- 28 Sri Lanka 745,376 compare
- 29 Malaysia 668,170 compare
- 30 Philippines 565,490 compare
- 31 Lao People's Democratic Republic 462,470 compare
- 32 Honduras 372,561 compare
- 33 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 313,885 compare
- 34 Saudi Arabia 308,603 compare
More education data for ECA: All Countries (unsdcode:98100)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 92.0% (2024)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 90.9% (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female 50.51 million (2024)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in vocational 8.0% (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male 54.20 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes 29.65 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes 6.23 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male 114.70 million (2024)
- School age population, upper secondary education, male 46.96 million (2024)
- School age population, upper secondary education, female 45.99 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in ECA: All Countries (unsdcode:98100)?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in ECA: All Countries (unsdcode:98100) was 164.62 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female recorded in ECA: All Countries (unsdcode:98100)?
- The highest recorded value was 164.62 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female recorded in ECA: All Countries (unsdcode:98100)?
- The lowest recorded value was 105.60 million in 1990.
- How does ECA: All Countries (unsdcode:98100) rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female?
- ECA: All Countries (unsdcode:98100) ranks 31st out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female rising or falling in ECA: All Countries (unsdcode:98100)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ECA: All Countries (unsdcode:98100) data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release