Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)
ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126): Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female was 142.00 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
142.00 million
Change on year
up 2.0%
Rank
40th
of 203 groups
All-time high
142.00 million
in 2024
All-time low
83.20 million
in 1990
Years of data
36
1989–2024
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126), 1989–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) recorded 142.00 million for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in 2024. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
The figure is up 2.0% on the previous year and up 14.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) peaked at 142.00 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 83.20 million, in 1990.
That places ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) 40th out of 203 groups with data for 2024, putting it 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: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 84.27 million | — |
| 1990 | 83.20 million | -1.3% |
| 1991 | 85.00 million | +2.2% |
| 1992 | 86.45 million | +1.7% |
| 1993 | 87.73 million | +1.5% |
| 1994 | 88.87 million | +1.3% |
| 1995 | 90.94 million | +2.3% |
| 1996 | 92.03 million | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 92.50 million | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 93.65 million | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 94.67 million | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 100.11 million | +5.8% |
| 2001 | 101.06 million | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 103.42 million | +2.3% |
| 2003 | 104.75 million | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 106.29 million | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 109.69 million | +3.2% |
| 2006 | 114.69 million | +4.6% |
| 2007 | 117.42 million | +2.4% |
| 2008 | 119.73 million | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 121.93 million | +1.8% |
| 2010 | 123.09 million | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 121.50 million | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 121.63 million | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 122.91 million | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 123.83 million | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 125.19 million | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 126.43 million | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 128.54 million | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 125.77 million | -2.2% |
| 2019 | 127.03 million | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 130.09 million | +2.4% |
| 2021 | 133.99 million | +3.0% |
| 2022 | 136.48 million | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 139.16 million | +2.0% |
| 2024 | 142.00 million | +2.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 84.27 million | 84.27 million | 84.27 million | 1 |
| 1990s | 89.50 million | 83.20 million | 94.67 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 109.91 million | 100.11 million | 121.93 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 124.59 million | 121.50 million | 128.54 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 136.35 million | 130.09 million | 142.00 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)
- 37 Ecuador 285,112 compare
- 38 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 282,190 compare
- 39 Chile 276,183 compare
- 40 Dominican Republic 224,029 compare
- 41 Timor-Leste 150,742 compare
- 42 Paraguay 135,394 compare
- 43 Spain 84,663 compare
More education data for ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 3.52 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.61 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 42.27 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.26 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 26.34 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 1.59 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 10.51 million (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 3.88 % change on previous year (2021)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.59 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 4.62 million (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) was 142.00 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female recorded in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)?
- The highest recorded value was 142.00 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female recorded in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)?
- The lowest recorded value was 83.20 million in 1990.
- How does ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female?
- ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) ranks 40th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female rising or falling in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) 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.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release