Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in UNICEF: Association of South East Asian Nations (asean)

UNICEF: Association of South East Asian Nations (asean): Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female was 13.57 million in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
13.57 million
Change on year
down 2.7%
Rank
144th
of 203 groups
All-time high
29.60 million
in 1989
All-time low
13.57 million
in 2024
Years of data
36
1989–2024

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in UNICEF: Association of South East Asian Nations (asean), 1989–2024

010.0M20.0M30.0M1989200620241989: 29.6M1990: 28.6M1991: 28.4M1992: 28.2M1993: 27.9M1994: 27.2M1995: 26.5M1996: 26.2M1997: 25.9M1998: 25.6M1999: 25.7M2000: 25.3M2001: 24.9M2002: 24.5M2003: 23.9M2004: 23.7M2005: 23.3M2006: 22.5M2007: 21.2M2008: 20.3M2009: 19.0M2010: 20.0M2011: 20.0M2012: 19.4M2013: 20.4M2014: 17.4M2015: 17.3M2016: 16.7M2017: 16.2M2018: 16.6M2019: 16.2M2020: 15.2M2021: 14.8M2022: 14.3M2023: 13.9M2024: 13.6M

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

UNICEF: Association of South East Asian Nations (asean) recorded 13.57 million for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.7% on the previous year and down 21.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in UNICEF: Association of South East Asian Nations (asean) peaked at 29.60 million in 1989 and was at its lowest, 13.57 million, in 2024.

UNICEF: Association of South East Asian Nations (asean) ranks 144th 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 UNICEF: Association of South East Asian Nations (asean), year by year

Annual values for Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female (number) in UNICEF: Association of South East Asian Nations (asean), 1989 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1989 29.60 million
1990 28.61 million -3.4%
1991 28.42 million -0.6%
1992 28.21 million -0.7%
1993 27.94 million -0.9%
1994 27.23 million -2.5%
1995 26.53 million -2.6%
1996 26.24 million -1.1%
1997 25.93 million -1.2%
1998 25.61 million -1.2%
1999 25.66 million +0.2%
2000 25.34 million -1.2%
2001 24.93 million -1.6%
2002 24.53 million -1.6%
2003 23.92 million -2.5%
2004 23.70 million -0.9%
2005 23.25 million -1.9%
2006 22.52 million -3.2%
2007 21.19 million -5.9%
2008 20.27 million -4.4%
2009 19.05 million -6.0%
2010 19.99 million +4.9%
2011 20.04 million +0.3%
2012 19.44 million -3.0%
2013 20.37 million +4.8%
2014 17.38 million -14.7%
2015 17.33 million -0.3%
2016 16.67 million -3.8%
2017 16.22 million -2.7%
2018 16.63 million +2.5%
2019 16.20 million -2.6%
2020 15.24 million -6.0%
2021 14.82 million -2.8%
2022 14.32 million -3.3%
2023 13.94 million -2.7%
2024 13.57 million -2.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 29.60 million 29.60 million 29.60 million 1
1990s 27.04 million 25.61 million 28.61 million 10
2000s 22.87 million 19.05 million 25.34 million 10
2010s 18.03 million 16.20 million 20.37 million 10
2020s 14.38 million 13.57 million 15.24 million 5

More education data for UNICEF: Association of South East Asian Nations (asean)

All data for UNICEF: Association of South East Asian Nations (asean) →

Frequently asked questions

What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in UNICEF: Association of South East Asian Nations (asean)?
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in UNICEF: Association of South East Asian Nations (asean) was 13.57 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female recorded in UNICEF: Association of South East Asian Nations (asean)?
The highest recorded value was 29.60 million in 1989.
What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female recorded in UNICEF: Association of South East Asian Nations (asean)?
The lowest recorded value was 13.57 million in 2024.
How does UNICEF: Association of South East Asian Nations (asean) rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female?
UNICEF: Association of South East Asian Nations (asean) ranks 144th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female rising or falling in UNICEF: Association of South East Asian Nations (asean)?
Over the last ten years it is down 21.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this UNICEF: Association of South East Asian Nations (asean) 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 UNICEF: Association of South East Asian Nations (asean). Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/adult-illiterate-population-15-years-female-number-2/unicef-association-of-south-east-asian-nations-asean/

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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