Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa
UIS: Sub-saharan Africa: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male was 88.12 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
88.12 million
Change on year
up 2.7%
Rank
46th
of 203 groups
All-time high
88.12 million
in 2024
All-time low
48.79 million
in 1990
Years of data
36
1989–2024
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa, 1989–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa stood at 88.12 million. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.7% on the previous year and up 19.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 88.12 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 48.79 million, in 1990.
UIS: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 46th of 203 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 49.47 million | — |
| 1990 | 48.79 million | -1.4% |
| 1991 | 49.82 million | +2.1% |
| 1992 | 50.72 million | +1.8% |
| 1993 | 51.43 million | +1.4% |
| 1994 | 52.34 million | +1.8% |
| 1995 | 53.61 million | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 54.40 million | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 54.66 million | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 55.14 million | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 55.46 million | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 58.55 million | +5.6% |
| 2001 | 59.28 million | +1.2% |
| 2002 | 58.87 million | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 60.18 million | +2.2% |
| 2004 | 60.64 million | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 63.44 million | +4.6% |
| 2006 | 65.91 million | +3.9% |
| 2007 | 69.31 million | +5.2% |
| 2008 | 70.88 million | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 72.11 million | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 73.35 million | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 72.33 million | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 71.83 million | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 72.41 million | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 73.66 million | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 74.80 million | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 76.07 million | +1.7% |
| 2017 | 77.86 million | +2.3% |
| 2018 | 75.39 million | -3.2% |
| 2019 | 76.64 million | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 78.86 million | +2.9% |
| 2021 | 81.92 million | +3.9% |
| 2022 | 83.83 million | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 85.83 million | +2.4% |
| 2024 | 88.12 million | +2.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 49.47 million | 49.47 million | 49.47 million | 1 |
| 1990s | 52.64 million | 48.79 million | 55.46 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 63.92 million | 58.55 million | 72.11 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 74.43 million | 71.83 million | 77.86 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 83.71 million | 78.86 million | 88.12 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near UIS: Sub-saharan Africa
More education data for UIS: Sub-saharan Africa
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 9.73 million (2021)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.7518 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 37.39 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.61 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 40.73 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.23 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 25.04 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 1.63 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 3.6 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 4.53 % change on previous year (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa was 88.12 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male recorded in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 88.12 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male recorded in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 48.79 million in 1990.
- How does UIS: Sub-saharan Africa rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male?
- UIS: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 46th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male rising or falling in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this UIS: Sub-saharan Africa 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.
Download this data
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