Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)
ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500): Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male was 20.93 million in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
20.93 million
Change on year
up 0.2%
Rank
95th
of 203 groups
All-time high
20.93 million
in 2024
All-time low
16.30 million
in 2004
Years of data
36
1989–2024
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500), 1989–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) stood at 20.93 million. 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 17.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) peaked at 20.93 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 16.30 million, in 2004.
ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) ranks 95th of 203 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 20.55 million | — |
| 1990 | 20.06 million | -2.4% |
| 1991 | 19.88 million | -0.9% |
| 1992 | 19.91 million | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 19.68 million | -1.1% |
| 1994 | 19.74 million | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 19.75 million | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 19.65 million | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 19.55 million | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 19.35 million | -1.0% |
| 1999 | 19.28 million | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 19.23 million | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 18.96 million | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 18.77 million | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 16.39 million | -12.7% |
| 2004 | 16.30 million | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 16.38 million | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 20.38 million | +24.4% |
| 2007 | 20.08 million | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 20.11 million | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 19.54 million | -2.9% |
| 2010 | 19.51 million | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 18.33 million | -6.0% |
| 2012 | 17.82 million | -2.8% |
| 2013 | 17.33 million | -2.7% |
| 2014 | 17.83 million | +2.8% |
| 2015 | 17.49 million | -1.9% |
| 2016 | 20.37 million | +16.5% |
| 2017 | 20.32 million | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 20.46 million | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 20.58 million | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 20.63 million | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 20.63 million | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 20.70 million | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 20.89 million | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 20.93 million | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 20.55 million | 20.55 million | 20.55 million | 1 |
| 1990s | 19.69 million | 19.28 million | 20.06 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 18.61 million | 16.30 million | 20.38 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.00 million | 17.33 million | 20.58 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.76 million | 20.63 million | 20.93 million | 5 |
More education data for ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 12.84 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.304 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 16.59 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.01 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 17.81 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.3069 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 5.68 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual -0.6186 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 6.43 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 7.88 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) was 20.93 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male recorded in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)?
- The highest recorded value was 20.93 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male recorded in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.30 million in 2004.
- How does ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male?
- ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) ranks 95th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male rising or falling in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) 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