Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in SDG: Eastern and South-eastern Asia
SDG: Eastern and South-eastern Asia: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male was 17.56 million in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
17.56 million
Change on year
down 3.1%
Rank
105th
of 203 groups
All-time high
70.92 million
in 1989
All-time low
17.56 million
in 2024
Years of data
36
1989–2024
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in SDG: Eastern and South-eastern Asia, 1989–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in SDG: Eastern and South-eastern Asia stood at 17.56 million. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
That represents a change of down 3.1% on the previous year and down 28.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in SDG: Eastern and South-eastern Asia peaked at 70.92 million in 1989 and was at its lowest, 17.56 million, in 2024.
SDG: Eastern and South-eastern Asia ranks 105th 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 SDG: Eastern and South-eastern Asia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 70.92 million | — |
| 1990 | 68.69 million | -3.1% |
| 1991 | 67.85 million | -1.2% |
| 1992 | 66.95 million | -1.3% |
| 1993 | 66.40 million | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 64.99 million | -2.1% |
| 1995 | 63.54 million | -2.2% |
| 1996 | 62.45 million | -1.7% |
| 1997 | 43.43 million | -30.5% |
| 1998 | 42.74 million | -1.6% |
| 1999 | 41.93 million | -1.9% |
| 2000 | 40.70 million | -2.9% |
| 2001 | 40.19 million | -1.2% |
| 2002 | 39.25 million | -2.3% |
| 2003 | 38.39 million | -2.2% |
| 2004 | 37.21 million | -3.1% |
| 2005 | 36.17 million | -2.8% |
| 2006 | 35.05 million | -3.1% |
| 2007 | 29.78 million | -15.0% |
| 2008 | 28.54 million | -4.2% |
| 2009 | 27.88 million | -2.3% |
| 2010 | 29.09 million | +4.4% |
| 2011 | 27.74 million | -4.7% |
| 2012 | 26.75 million | -3.6% |
| 2013 | 26.73 million | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 24.40 million | -8.7% |
| 2015 | 22.85 million | -6.4% |
| 2016 | 21.99 million | -3.8% |
| 2017 | 21.38 million | -2.8% |
| 2018 | 21.98 million | +2.8% |
| 2019 | 21.41 million | -2.6% |
| 2020 | 19.96 million | -6.8% |
| 2021 | 19.34 million | -3.1% |
| 2022 | 18.68 million | -3.4% |
| 2023 | 18.12 million | -3.0% |
| 2024 | 17.56 million | -3.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 70.92 million | 70.92 million | 70.92 million | 1 |
| 1990s | 58.90 million | 41.93 million | 68.69 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 35.32 million | 27.88 million | 40.70 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.43 million | 21.38 million | 29.09 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.73 million | 17.56 million | 19.96 million | 5 |
More education data for SDG: Eastern and South-eastern Asia
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 1.32 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 89.12 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.04 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 80.86 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.1689 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 10.74 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.278 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 88.74 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 98.09 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.58 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in SDG: Eastern and South-eastern Asia?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in SDG: Eastern and South-eastern Asia was 17.56 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male recorded in SDG: Eastern and South-eastern Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 70.92 million in 1989.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male recorded in SDG: Eastern and South-eastern Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.56 million in 2024.
- How does SDG: Eastern and South-eastern Asia rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male?
- SDG: Eastern and South-eastern Asia ranks 105th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male rising or falling in SDG: Eastern and South-eastern Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this SDG: Eastern and South-eastern Asia 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