Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in SDG: Eastern Asia
SDG: Eastern Asia: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male was 10.03 million in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
10.03 million
Change on year
down 4.0%
Rank
131st
of 203 groups
All-time high
57.06 million
in 1989
All-time low
10.03 million
in 2024
Years of data
36
1989–2024
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in SDG: Eastern Asia, 1989–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in SDG: Eastern Asia stood at 10.03 million. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
The figure is down 4.0% on the previous year and down 32.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in SDG: Eastern Asia peaked at 57.06 million in 1989 and was at its lowest, 10.03 million, in 2024.
That places SDG: Eastern Asia 131st out of 203 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in SDG: Eastern Asia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 57.06 million | — |
| 1990 | 55.23 million | -3.2% |
| 1991 | 54.38 million | -1.5% |
| 1992 | 53.50 million | -1.6% |
| 1993 | 52.66 million | -1.6% |
| 1994 | 51.65 million | -1.9% |
| 1995 | 50.63 million | -2.0% |
| 1996 | 49.72 million | -1.8% |
| 1997 | 30.80 million | -38.0% |
| 1998 | 30.17 million | -2.1% |
| 1999 | 29.30 million | -2.9% |
| 2000 | 28.59 million | -2.4% |
| 2001 | 28.13 million | -1.6% |
| 2002 | 27.32 million | -2.9% |
| 2003 | 26.38 million | -3.4% |
| 2004 | 25.38 million | -3.8% |
| 2005 | 24.50 million | -3.5% |
| 2006 | 23.76 million | -3.0% |
| 2007 | 19.63 million | -17.4% |
| 2008 | 18.89 million | -3.8% |
| 2009 | 18.27 million | -3.3% |
| 2010 | 18.24 million | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 17.56 million | -3.7% |
| 2012 | 16.79 million | -4.4% |
| 2013 | 16.22 million | -3.4% |
| 2014 | 14.90 million | -8.2% |
| 2015 | 14.19 million | -4.8% |
| 2016 | 13.58 million | -4.3% |
| 2017 | 13.14 million | -3.2% |
| 2018 | 12.69 million | -3.4% |
| 2019 | 12.28 million | -3.3% |
| 2020 | 11.76 million | -4.2% |
| 2021 | 11.32 million | -3.8% |
| 2022 | 10.88 million | -3.9% |
| 2023 | 10.45 million | -3.9% |
| 2024 | 10.03 million | -4.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 57.06 million | 57.06 million | 57.06 million | 1 |
| 1990s | 45.81 million | 29.30 million | 55.23 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 24.08 million | 18.27 million | 28.59 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.96 million | 12.28 million | 18.24 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.89 million | 10.03 million | 11.76 million | 5 |
More education data for SDG: Eastern Asia
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.4947 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 34.54 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 2.06 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.1647 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7.46 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 1.55 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 109.86 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 56.39 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 119.59 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.7719 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in SDG: Eastern Asia?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in SDG: Eastern Asia was 10.03 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male recorded in SDG: Eastern Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 57.06 million in 1989.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male recorded in SDG: Eastern Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.03 million in 2024.
- How does SDG: Eastern Asia rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male?
- SDG: Eastern Asia ranks 131st out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male rising or falling in SDG: Eastern Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 32.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this SDG: 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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CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release