Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)
ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126): Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male was 93.11 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
93.11 million
Change on year
up 2.5%
Rank
40th
of 203 groups
All-time high
93.11 million
in 2024
All-time low
50.52 million
in 1990
Years of data
36
1989–2024
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126), 1989–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) recorded 93.11 million for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in 2024. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.5% on the previous year and up 20.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) peaked at 93.11 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 50.52 million, in 1990.
That places ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) 40th out of 203 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 51.20 million | — |
| 1990 | 50.52 million | -1.3% |
| 1991 | 51.58 million | +2.1% |
| 1992 | 52.51 million | +1.8% |
| 1993 | 53.25 million | +1.4% |
| 1994 | 54.20 million | +1.8% |
| 1995 | 55.53 million | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 56.32 million | +1.4% |
| 1997 | 56.57 million | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 57.05 million | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 57.37 million | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 60.47 million | +5.4% |
| 2001 | 61.20 million | +1.2% |
| 2002 | 60.79 million | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 62.09 million | +2.1% |
| 2004 | 62.54 million | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 65.33 million | +4.5% |
| 2006 | 69.35 million | +6.1% |
| 2007 | 72.79 million | +5.0% |
| 2008 | 74.40 million | +2.2% |
| 2009 | 75.69 million | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 77.00 million | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 76.00 million | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 75.52 million | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 76.15 million | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 77.44 million | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 78.68 million | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 80.05 million | +1.7% |
| 2017 | 81.93 million | +2.4% |
| 2018 | 79.61 million | -2.8% |
| 2019 | 81.02 million | +1.8% |
| 2020 | 83.39 million | +2.9% |
| 2021 | 86.59 million | +3.8% |
| 2022 | 88.65 million | +2.4% |
| 2023 | 90.80 million | +2.4% |
| 2024 | 93.11 million | +2.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 51.20 million | 51.20 million | 51.20 million | 1 |
| 1990s | 54.49 million | 50.52 million | 57.37 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 66.46 million | 60.47 million | 75.69 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 78.34 million | 75.52 million | 81.93 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 88.51 million | 83.39 million | 93.11 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)
- 37 Ecuador 202,597 compare
- 38 El Salvador 183,689 compare
- 39 Jordan 149,458 compare
- 40 Timor-Leste 119,352 compare
- 41 Paraguay 117,604 compare
- 42 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 95,740 compare
- 43 Kuwait 66,042 compare
More education data for ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 3.52 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 38.99 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.61 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 42.27 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.26 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 26.34 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 1.59 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 10.51 million (2021)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.59 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 3.88 % change on previous year (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) was 93.11 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male recorded in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)?
- The highest recorded value was 93.11 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male recorded in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)?
- The lowest recorded value was 50.52 million in 1990.
- How does ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male?
- ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) ranks 40th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male rising or falling in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release