Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa
UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male was 44.35 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
44.35 million
Change on year
up 2.3%
Rank
73rd
of 203 groups
All-time high
44.35 million
in 2024
All-time low
24.34 million
in 1990
Years of data
36
1989–2024
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa, 1989–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa stood at 44.35 million. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
The figure is up 2.3% on the previous year and up 25.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa peaked at 44.35 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 24.34 million, in 1990.
That places UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa 73rd out of 203 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 24.64 million | — |
| 1990 | 24.34 million | -1.2% |
| 1991 | 25.05 million | +2.9% |
| 1992 | 25.58 million | +2.1% |
| 1993 | 25.92 million | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 26.50 million | +2.3% |
| 1995 | 26.82 million | +1.2% |
| 1996 | 27.19 million | +1.4% |
| 1997 | 27.23 million | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 27.90 million | +2.5% |
| 1999 | 27.73 million | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 28.24 million | +1.8% |
| 2001 | 28.78 million | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 27.81 million | -3.4% |
| 2003 | 28.27 million | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 28.96 million | +2.5% |
| 2005 | 30.66 million | +5.9% |
| 2006 | 33.55 million | +9.4% |
| 2007 | 33.64 million | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 34.40 million | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 34.71 million | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 34.93 million | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 35.52 million | +1.7% |
| 2012 | 34.31 million | -3.4% |
| 2013 | 34.62 million | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 35.22 million | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 36.07 million | +2.4% |
| 2016 | 36.41 million | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 38.15 million | +4.8% |
| 2018 | 38.37 million | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 38.00 million | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 39.14 million | +3.0% |
| 2021 | 41.29 million | +5.5% |
| 2022 | 42.32 million | +2.5% |
| 2023 | 43.38 million | +2.5% |
| 2024 | 44.35 million | +2.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 24.64 million | 24.64 million | 24.64 million | 1 |
| 1990s | 26.43 million | 24.34 million | 27.90 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 30.90 million | 27.81 million | 34.71 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 36.16 million | 34.31 million | 38.37 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 42.10 million | 39.14 million | 44.35 million | 5 |
More education data for UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 49.26 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 1.01 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 2.50 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 2.77 % change on previous year (2022)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 36.30 million (2022)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.22 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 50.69 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.32 % change on previous year (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 8.67 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 9.20 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa was 44.35 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male recorded in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 44.35 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male recorded in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.34 million in 1990.
- How does UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male?
- UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa ranks 73rd out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male rising or falling in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 25.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this UNICEF: Eastern and Southern 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.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release