Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in Malaysia

Malaysia: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female was 668,170 in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
668,170
Change on year
down 10.8%
World rank
29th
of 59 countries
All-time high
1.28 million
in 1991
All-time low
668,170
in 2022
Years of data
8
1991–2022

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in Malaysia, 1991–2022

0500.0k1.0M1.5M1991200620221991: 1.3M2000: 1.1M2010: 905.6k2016: 737.7k2017: 731.4k2018: 751.4k2019: 749.4k2022: 668.2k

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

Malaysia recorded 668,170 for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 8 years on record.

The figure is down 10.8% on the previous year and down 26.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in Malaysia peaked at 1.28 million in 1991 and was at its lowest, 668,170, in 2022.

That places Malaysia 29th out of 59 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in Malaysia, year by year

Annual values for Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female (number) in Malaysia, 1991 to 2022.
Year Value Change
1991 1.28 million
2000 1.07 million -16.6%
2010 905,573 -15.1%
2016 737,702 -18.5%
2017 731,388 -0.9%
2018 751,390 +2.7%
2019 749,387 -0.3%
2022 668,170 -10.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 1.28 million 1.28 million 1.28 million 1
2000s 1.07 million 1.07 million 1.07 million 1
2010s 775,088 731,388 905,573 5
2020s 668,170 668,170 668,170 1

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 26 Cambodia 890,626 compare
  2. 27 Colombia 826,913 compare
  3. 28 Sri Lanka 745,376 compare
  4. 30 Philippines 565,490 compare
  5. 31 Lao People's Democratic Republic 462,470 compare
  6. 32 Honduras 372,561 compare

See the full ranking of 262 places →

More education data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in Malaysia?
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in Malaysia was 668,170 in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female recorded in Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 1.28 million in 1991.
What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 668,170 in 2022.
How does Malaysia rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female?
Malaysia ranks 29th out of 59 countries with data for 2022.
Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is down 26.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Malaysia 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 Malaysia. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/adult-illiterate-population-15-years-female-number-2/malaysia/

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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