Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in ESCAP: Wb Upper Middle Income Economies (wb_upper_mid) (unsdcode:98437)

ESCAP: Wb Upper Middle Income Economies (wb_upper_mid) (unsdcode:98437): Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female was 32.48 million in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
32.48 million
Change on year
down 3.9%
Rank
107th
of 203 groups
All-time high
157.40 million
in 1989
All-time low
32.48 million
in 2024
Years of data
36
1989–2024

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in ESCAP: Wb Upper Middle Income Economies (wb_upper_mid) (unsdcode:98437), 1989–2024

25.0M50.0M75.0M100.0M125.0M150.0M1989200620241989: 157.4M1990: 152.4M1991: 150.4M1992: 148.3M1993: 146.3M1994: 144.1M1995: 142.0M1996: 139.7M1997: 91.4M1998: 89.1M1999: 87.2M2000: 85.1M2001: 83.3M2002: 81.4M2003: 79.6M2004: 77.9M2005: 75.9M2006: 73.9M2007: 63.3M2008: 60.8M2009: 56.9M2010: 55.2M2011: 53.3M2012: 51.3M2013: 50.7M2014: 46.7M2015: 45.9M2016: 44.3M2017: 42.1M2018: 40.7M2019: 39.2M2020: 37.9M2021: 36.6M2022: 35.1M2023: 33.8M2024: 32.5M

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

In 2024, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in ESCAP: Wb Upper Middle Income Economies (wb_upper_mid) (unsdcode:98437) stood at 32.48 million. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.

That represents a change of down 3.9% on the previous year and down 30.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in ESCAP: Wb Upper Middle Income Economies (wb_upper_mid) (unsdcode:98437) peaked at 157.40 million in 1989 and was at its lowest, 32.48 million, in 2024.

That places ESCAP: Wb Upper Middle Income Economies (wb_upper_mid) (unsdcode:98437) 107th out of 203 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in ESCAP: Wb Upper Middle Income Economies (wb_upper_mid) (unsdcode:98437), year by year

Annual values for Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female (number) in ESCAP: Wb Upper Middle Income Economies (wb_upper_mid) (unsdcode:98437), 1989 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1989 157.40 million
1990 152.36 million -3.2%
1991 150.40 million -1.3%
1992 148.35 million -1.4%
1993 146.27 million -1.4%
1994 144.15 million -1.4%
1995 141.98 million -1.5%
1996 139.67 million -1.6%
1997 91.41 million -34.5%
1998 89.08 million -2.6%
1999 87.18 million -2.1%
2000 85.10 million -2.4%
2001 83.26 million -2.2%
2002 81.43 million -2.2%
2003 79.58 million -2.3%
2004 77.90 million -2.1%
2005 75.86 million -2.6%
2006 73.88 million -2.6%
2007 63.26 million -14.4%
2008 60.78 million -3.9%
2009 56.85 million -6.5%
2010 55.19 million -2.9%
2011 53.35 million -3.3%
2012 51.31 million -3.8%
2013 50.66 million -1.3%
2014 46.71 million -7.8%
2015 45.93 million -1.7%
2016 44.25 million -3.7%
2017 42.14 million -4.8%
2018 40.70 million -3.4%
2019 39.22 million -3.6%
2020 37.90 million -3.4%
2021 36.55 million -3.6%
2022 35.13 million -3.9%
2023 33.81 million -3.8%
2024 32.48 million -3.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 157.40 million 157.40 million 157.40 million 1
1990s 129.08 million 87.18 million 152.36 million 10
2000s 73.79 million 56.85 million 85.10 million 10
2010s 46.95 million 39.22 million 55.19 million 10
2020s 35.17 million 32.48 million 37.90 million 5

More education data for ESCAP: Wb Upper Middle Income Economies (wb_upper_mid) (unsdcode:98437)

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Frequently asked questions

What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in ESCAP: Wb Upper Middle Income Economies (wb_upper_mid) (unsdcode:98437)?
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in ESCAP: Wb Upper Middle Income Economies (wb_upper_mid) (unsdcode:98437) was 32.48 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female recorded in ESCAP: Wb Upper Middle Income Economies (wb_upper_mid) (unsdcode:98437)?
The highest recorded value was 157.40 million in 1989.
What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female recorded in ESCAP: Wb Upper Middle Income Economies (wb_upper_mid) (unsdcode:98437)?
The lowest recorded value was 32.48 million in 2024.
How does ESCAP: Wb Upper Middle Income Economies (wb_upper_mid) (unsdcode:98437) rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female?
ESCAP: Wb Upper Middle Income Economies (wb_upper_mid) (unsdcode:98437) ranks 107th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female rising or falling in ESCAP: Wb Upper Middle Income Economies (wb_upper_mid) (unsdcode:98437)?
Over the last ten years it is down 30.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this ESCAP: Wb Upper Middle Income Economies (wb_upper_mid) (unsdcode:98437) 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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Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in ESCAP: Wb Upper Middle Income Economies (wb_upper_mid) (unsdcode:98437). Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/adult-illiterate-population-15-years-female-number-2/escap-wb-upper-middle-income-economies-wb-upper-mid-unsdcode-98437/

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About this data

Indicator
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
262 places, 6,969 data points, 1989–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release