Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in UNICEF: Economic Community of West African States (ecowas)
UNICEF: Economic Community of West African States (ecowas): Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male was 40.11 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in UNICEF: Economic Community of West African States (ecowas), 1989–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
UNICEF: Economic Community of West African States (ecowas) recorded 40.11 million for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in 2024. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.5% on the previous year and up 12.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in UNICEF: Economic Community of West African States (ecowas) peaked at 40.11 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 21.78 million, in 1990.
That places UNICEF: Economic Community of West African States (ecowas) 76th 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: Economic Community of West African States (ecowas), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 22.11 million | — |
| 1990 | 21.78 million | -1.5% |
| 1991 | 22.06 million | +1.3% |
| 1992 | 22.34 million | +1.2% |
| 1993 | 22.64 million | +1.4% |
| 1994 | 22.96 million | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 23.78 million | +3.6% |
| 1996 | 24.08 million | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 24.35 million | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 24.54 million | +0.8% |
| 1999 | 24.89 million | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 27.34 million | +9.8% |
| 2001 | 27.36 million | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 27.78 million | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 28.31 million | +1.9% |
| 2004 | 27.86 million | -1.6% |
| 2005 | 28.49 million | +2.3% |
| 2006 | 28.99 million | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 31.98 million | +10.3% |
| 2008 | 32.70 million | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 33.52 million | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 34.35 million | +2.5% |
| 2011 | 34.55 million | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 34.86 million | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 35.08 million | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 35.68 million | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 35.98 million | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 36.52 million | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 36.50 million | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 33.81 million | -7.4% |
| 2019 | 35.43 million | +4.8% |
| 2020 | 36.54 million | +3.1% |
| 2021 | 37.38 million | +2.3% |
| 2022 | 38.23 million | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 39.15 million | +2.4% |
| 2024 | 40.11 million | +2.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 22.11 million | 22.11 million | 22.11 million | 1 |
| 1990s | 23.34 million | 21.78 million | 24.89 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 29.43 million | 27.34 million | 33.52 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.28 million | 33.81 million | 36.52 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 38.28 million | 36.54 million | 40.11 million | 5 |
More education data for UNICEF: Economic Community of West African States (ecowas)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 6.60 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 31.31 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 947,845 (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.7446 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 873,576 (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 5.35 % change on previous year (2020)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 3.80 million (2020)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 0.8591 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 2.59 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 15.44 million (2024)
All data for UNICEF: Economic Community of West African States (ecowas) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in UNICEF: Economic Community of West African States (ecowas)?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in UNICEF: Economic Community of West African States (ecowas) was 40.11 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male recorded in UNICEF: Economic Community of West African States (ecowas)?
- The highest recorded value was 40.11 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male recorded in UNICEF: Economic Community of West African States (ecowas)?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.78 million in 1990.
- How does UNICEF: Economic Community of West African States (ecowas) rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male?
- UNICEF: Economic Community of West African States (ecowas) ranks 76th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male rising or falling in UNICEF: Economic Community of West African States (ecowas)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this UNICEF: Economic Community of West African States (ecowas) 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