Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia
SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male was 22.89 million in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
22.89 million
Change on year
up 0.2%
Rank
92nd
of 203 groups
All-time high
24.28 million
in 1991
All-time low
19.33 million
in 2005
Years of data
34
1991–2024
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia, 1991–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia recorded 22.89 million for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in 2024.
The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 14.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia peaked at 24.28 million in 1991 and was at its lowest, 19.33 million, in 2005.
That places SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia 92nd out of 203 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 24.28 million | — |
| 1992 | 24.20 million | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 23.86 million | -1.4% |
| 1994 | 23.82 million | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 23.73 million | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 23.55 million | -0.8% |
| 1997 | 23.36 million | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 23.01 million | -1.5% |
| 1999 | 22.87 million | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 22.42 million | -1.9% |
| 2001 | 22.11 million | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 21.88 million | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 19.47 million | -11.0% |
| 2004 | 19.36 million | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 19.33 million | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 23.33 million | +20.7% |
| 2007 | 22.97 million | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 23.00 million | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 22.36 million | -2.8% |
| 2010 | 22.07 million | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 20.70 million | -6.2% |
| 2012 | 20.14 million | -2.7% |
| 2013 | 19.58 million | -2.8% |
| 2014 | 20.01 million | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 19.61 million | -2.0% |
| 2016 | 22.41 million | +14.3% |
| 2017 | 22.31 million | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 22.38 million | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 22.48 million | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 22.54 million | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 22.55 million | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 22.65 million | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 22.84 million | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 22.89 million | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 23.63 million | 22.87 million | 24.28 million | 9 |
| 2000s | 21.62 million | 19.33 million | 23.33 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.17 million | 19.58 million | 22.48 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.69 million | 22.54 million | 22.89 million | 5 |
More education data for SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 26.40 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 9.09 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.19 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 28.29 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.58 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 3.02 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.371 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 1.38 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 0.2663 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 2.39 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia was 22.89 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male recorded in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 24.28 million in 1991.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male recorded in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.33 million in 2005.
- How does SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male?
- SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia ranks 92nd out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male rising or falling in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this SDG: Northern Africa and Western 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