Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in MDG: Developing Regions
MDG: Developing Regions: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female was 453.43 million in 2024. ▼ Falling
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in MDG: Developing Regions, 1990–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in MDG: Developing Regions is 453.43 million, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.3% on the previous year and down 3.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in MDG: Developing Regions peaked at 583.79 million in 1990 and was at its lowest, 453.43 million, in 2024.
That places MDG: Developing Regions 6th out of 203 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in MDG: Developing Regions, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 583.79 million | — |
| 1991 | 580.67 million | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 577.18 million | -0.6% |
| 1993 | 574.07 million | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 569.74 million | -0.8% |
| 1995 | 565.67 million | -0.7% |
| 1996 | 561.69 million | -0.7% |
| 1997 | 511.32 million | -9.0% |
| 1998 | 493.25 million | -3.5% |
| 1999 | 489.56 million | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 490.06 million | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 492.57 million | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 493.45 million | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 491.70 million | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 491.64 million | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 503.07 million | +2.3% |
| 2006 | 510.43 million | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 499.25 million | -2.2% |
| 2008 | 496.92 million | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 494.73 million | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 480.25 million | -2.9% |
| 2011 | 478.71 million | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 479.62 million | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 477.56 million | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 472.07 million | -1.2% |
| 2015 | 466.82 million | -1.1% |
| 2016 | 461.91 million | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 461.20 million | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 456.27 million | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 459.90 million | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 459.05 million | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 458.51 million | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 455.86 million | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 454.57 million | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 453.43 million | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 550.70 million | 489.56 million | 583.79 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 496.38 million | 490.06 million | 510.43 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 469.43 million | 456.27 million | 480.25 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 456.28 million | 453.43 million | 459.05 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near MDG: Developing Regions
More education data for MDG: Developing Regions
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 90.6% (2024)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 89.6% (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female 266.40 million (2024)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in vocational 9.4% (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male 286.02 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes 171.20 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes 28.60 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male 365.72 million (2024)
- School age population, upper secondary education, male 190.49 million (2024)
- School age population, upper secondary education, female 178.28 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in MDG: Developing Regions?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in MDG: Developing Regions was 453.43 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female recorded in MDG: Developing Regions?
- The highest recorded value was 583.79 million in 1990.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female recorded in MDG: Developing Regions?
- The lowest recorded value was 453.43 million in 2024.
- How does MDG: Developing Regions rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female?
- MDG: Developing Regions ranks 6th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female rising or falling in MDG: Developing Regions?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this MDG: Developing Regions 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