Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa
UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female was 39.12 million in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
39.12 million
Change on year
up 0.2%
Rank
101st
of 203 groups
All-time high
42.89 million
in 1989
All-time low
37.69 million
in 2013
Years of data
36
1989–2024
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa, 1989–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa stood at 39.12 million.
The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 2.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa peaked at 42.89 million in 1989 and was at its lowest, 37.69 million, in 2013.
UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa ranks 101st 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: Middle East and North Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 42.89 million | — |
| 1990 | 40.84 million | -4.8% |
| 1991 | 40.87 million | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 41.02 million | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 41.66 million | +1.5% |
| 1994 | 41.61 million | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 41.20 million | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 41.18 million | -0.0% |
| 1997 | 41.14 million | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 41.07 million | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 41.03 million | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 41.02 million | -0.0% |
| 2001 | 40.89 million | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 40.77 million | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 39.34 million | -3.5% |
| 2004 | 39.20 million | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 39.32 million | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 40.74 million | +3.6% |
| 2007 | 40.85 million | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 39.19 million | -4.1% |
| 2009 | 38.95 million | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 38.86 million | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 38.91 million | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 38.51 million | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 37.69 million | -2.1% |
| 2014 | 38.30 million | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 37.72 million | -1.5% |
| 2016 | 39.66 million | +5.1% |
| 2017 | 39.16 million | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 39.15 million | -0.0% |
| 2019 | 39.18 million | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 39.21 million | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 39.08 million | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 38.98 million | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 39.05 million | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 39.12 million | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 42.89 million | 42.89 million | 42.89 million | 1 |
| 1990s | 41.16 million | 40.84 million | 41.66 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 40.03 million | 38.95 million | 41.02 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 38.72 million | 37.69 million | 39.66 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 39.09 million | 38.98 million | 39.21 million | 5 |
More education data for UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 6.15 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 21.65 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 2.17 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 23.21 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.71 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 6.49 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual -0.5257 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 17.53 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 8.61 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 6.11 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa was 39.12 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female recorded in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 42.89 million in 1989.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female recorded in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 37.69 million in 2013.
- How does UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female?
- UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa ranks 101st out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female rising or falling in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa 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