Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income)
WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income): Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female was 84.58 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income), 1989–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income) is 84.58 million, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 5.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income) peaked at 84.58 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 63.37 million, in 1990.
WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income) ranks 61st of 203 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 65.51 million | — |
| 1990 | 63.37 million | -3.3% |
| 1991 | 64.19 million | +1.3% |
| 1992 | 64.98 million | +1.2% |
| 1993 | 66.43 million | +2.2% |
| 1994 | 67.37 million | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 67.72 million | +0.5% |
| 1996 | 68.48 million | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 69.22 million | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 69.98 million | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 70.73 million | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 71.47 million | +1.1% |
| 2001 | 71.97 million | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 72.61 million | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 72.91 million | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 73.54 million | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 74.27 million | +1.0% |
| 2006 | 76.44 million | +2.9% |
| 2007 | 77.05 million | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 76.01 million | -1.4% |
| 2009 | 76.67 million | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 77.56 million | +1.2% |
| 2011 | 78.83 million | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 79.10 million | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 79.80 million | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 80.04 million | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 79.47 million | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 81.20 million | +2.2% |
| 2017 | 82.13 million | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 83.17 million | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 83.65 million | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 84.04 million | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 84.24 million | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 84.26 million | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 84.38 million | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 84.58 million | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 65.51 million | 65.51 million | 65.51 million | 1 |
| 1990s | 67.25 million | 63.37 million | 70.73 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 74.30 million | 71.47 million | 77.05 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 80.50 million | 77.56 million | 83.65 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 84.30 million | 84.04 million | 84.58 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income)
- 58 Maldives 2,464 compare
- 59 Uzbekistan 2 compare
More education data for WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 2.74 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 8.74 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 3.82 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 8.80 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 1.85 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.02 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 29.02 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.80 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 32.64 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 4.06 % change on previous year (2024)
All data for WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income)?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income) was 84.58 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female recorded in WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income)?
- The highest recorded value was 84.58 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female recorded in WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 63.37 million in 1990.
- How does WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income) rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female?
- WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income) ranks 61st out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female rising or falling in WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this WB: Middle East & North Africa (excluding High Income) 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