Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in SDG: Eastern and South-eastern Asia
SDG: Eastern and South-eastern Asia: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female was 41.80 million in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
41.80 million
Change on year
down 3.5%
Rank
96th
of 203 groups
All-time high
172.87 million
in 1989
All-time low
41.80 million
in 2024
Years of data
36
1989–2024
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in SDG: Eastern and South-eastern Asia, 1989–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
SDG: Eastern and South-eastern Asia recorded 41.80 million for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
The figure is down 3.5% on the previous year and down 29.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in SDG: Eastern and South-eastern Asia peaked at 172.87 million in 1989 and was at its lowest, 41.80 million, in 2024.
SDG: Eastern and South-eastern Asia ranks 96th of 203 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in SDG: Eastern and South-eastern Asia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 172.87 million | — |
| 1990 | 167.71 million | -3.0% |
| 1991 | 165.84 million | -1.1% |
| 1992 | 163.88 million | -1.2% |
| 1993 | 161.83 million | -1.3% |
| 1994 | 159.18 million | -1.6% |
| 1995 | 156.49 million | -1.7% |
| 1996 | 154.40 million | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 105.81 million | -31.5% |
| 1998 | 103.95 million | -1.8% |
| 1999 | 102.25 million | -1.6% |
| 2000 | 100.28 million | -1.9% |
| 2001 | 98.28 million | -2.0% |
| 2002 | 96.15 million | -2.2% |
| 2003 | 93.63 million | -2.6% |
| 2004 | 91.61 million | -2.1% |
| 2005 | 89.27 million | -2.6% |
| 2006 | 86.76 million | -2.8% |
| 2007 | 74.60 million | -14.0% |
| 2008 | 71.92 million | -3.6% |
| 2009 | 69.05 million | -4.0% |
| 2010 | 69.09 million | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 67.56 million | -2.2% |
| 2012 | 65.15 million | -3.6% |
| 2013 | 64.67 million | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 59.12 million | -8.6% |
| 2015 | 57.43 million | -2.9% |
| 2016 | 55.21 million | -3.9% |
| 2017 | 52.85 million | -4.3% |
| 2018 | 51.91 million | -1.8% |
| 2019 | 50.24 million | -3.2% |
| 2020 | 48.07 million | -4.3% |
| 2021 | 46.51 million | -3.2% |
| 2022 | 44.83 million | -3.6% |
| 2023 | 43.31 million | -3.4% |
| 2024 | 41.80 million | -3.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 172.87 million | 172.87 million | 172.87 million | 1 |
| 1990s | 144.13 million | 102.25 million | 167.71 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 87.16 million | 69.05 million | 100.28 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 59.32 million | 50.24 million | 69.09 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 44.91 million | 41.80 million | 48.07 million | 5 |
More education data for SDG: Eastern and South-eastern Asia
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 1.32 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 89.12 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.04 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 80.86 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.1689 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 10.74 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.278 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 88.74 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 98.09 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.58 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in SDG: Eastern and South-eastern Asia?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in SDG: Eastern and South-eastern Asia was 41.80 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female recorded in SDG: Eastern and South-eastern Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 172.87 million in 1989.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female recorded in SDG: Eastern and South-eastern Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 41.80 million in 2024.
- How does SDG: Eastern and South-eastern Asia rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female?
- SDG: Eastern and South-eastern Asia ranks 96th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female rising or falling in SDG: Eastern and South-eastern Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this SDG: Eastern and South-eastern Asia 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