Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411)
ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411): Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male was 20.18 million in 2024. ▼ Falling
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411), 1989–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411) is 20.18 million, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.3% on the previous year and down 29.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411) peaked at 32.21 million in 2009 and was at its lowest, 20.18 million, in 2024.
ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411) ranks 99th 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, male in ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 25.46 million | — |
| 1990 | 25.26 million | -0.8% |
| 1991 | 25.70 million | +1.7% |
| 1992 | 26.14 million | +1.7% |
| 1993 | 26.78 million | +2.4% |
| 1994 | 26.96 million | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 27.04 million | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 27.50 million | +1.7% |
| 1997 | 27.95 million | +1.7% |
| 1998 | 26.42 million | -5.5% |
| 1999 | 26.63 million | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 26.96 million | +1.2% |
| 2001 | 27.31 million | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 27.41 million | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 27.50 million | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 27.55 million | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 27.56 million | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 31.56 million | +14.5% |
| 2007 | 31.83 million | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 31.88 million | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 32.21 million | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 27.16 million | -15.7% |
| 2011 | 27.20 million | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 31.60 million | +16.2% |
| 2013 | 28.69 million | -9.2% |
| 2014 | 28.62 million | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 24.82 million | -13.3% |
| 2016 | 21.12 million | -14.9% |
| 2017 | 21.28 million | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 21.80 million | +2.4% |
| 2019 | 21.43 million | -1.7% |
| 2020 | 21.57 million | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 20.99 million | -2.7% |
| 2022 | 20.38 million | -2.9% |
| 2023 | 20.25 million | -0.6% |
| 2024 | 20.18 million | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 25.46 million | 25.46 million | 25.46 million | 1 |
| 1990s | 26.64 million | 25.26 million | 27.95 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 29.18 million | 26.96 million | 32.21 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 25.37 million | 21.12 million | 31.60 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.67 million | 20.18 million | 21.57 million | 5 |
More education data for ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 96.1% (2024)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 94.6% (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female 14.10 million (2024)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in vocational 3.9% (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male 14.13 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes 5.95 million (2021)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes 1.24 million (2020)
- Enrolment in primary education, male 19.17 million (2021)
- School age population, upper secondary education, male 11.36 million (2024)
- School age population, upper secondary education, female 10.84 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411)?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411) was 20.18 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male recorded in ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411)?
- The highest recorded value was 32.21 million in 2009.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male recorded in ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411)?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.18 million in 2024.
- How does ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411) rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male?
- ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411) ranks 99th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male rising or falling in ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this ESCAP: Ldc (ldc_e) (unsdcode:98411) 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