Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in UNICEF: World
UNICEF: World: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male was 272.64 million in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
272.64 million
Change on year
down 0.0%
Rank
5th
of 203 groups
All-time high
342.16 million
in 1993
All-time low
269.89 million
in 2018
Years of data
32
1993–2024
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in UNICEF: World, 1993–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in UNICEF: World stood at 272.64 million.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in UNICEF: World peaked at 342.16 million in 1993 and was at its lowest, 269.89 million, in 2018.
UNICEF: World ranks 5th of 203 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 32 years of available data.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in UNICEF: World, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 342.16 million | — |
| 1994 | 338.75 million | -1.0% |
| 1995 | 335.42 million | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 332.53 million | -0.9% |
| 1997 | 311.40 million | -6.4% |
| 1998 | 289.36 million | -7.1% |
| 1999 | 286.81 million | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 286.64 million | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 288.17 million | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 286.34 million | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 281.36 million | -1.7% |
| 2004 | 280.46 million | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 282.67 million | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 291.90 million | +3.3% |
| 2007 | 288.99 million | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 287.22 million | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 285.97 million | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 283.41 million | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 281.50 million | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 281.51 million | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 279.42 million | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 277.94 million | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 272.60 million | -1.9% |
| 2016 | 270.71 million | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 271.42 million | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 269.89 million | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 274.82 million | +1.8% |
| 2020 | 274.44 million | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 274.20 million | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 272.83 million | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 272.74 million | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 272.64 million | -0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 319.49 million | 286.81 million | 342.16 million | 7 |
| 2000s | 285.97 million | 280.46 million | 291.90 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 276.32 million | 269.89 million | 283.41 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 273.37 million | 272.64 million | 274.44 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near UNICEF: World
- 2 Pakistan 22.14 million compare
- 3 Bangladesh 10.74 million compare
- 4 Egypt 7.97 million compare
- 5 Brazil 5.52 million compare
- 6 Burkina Faso 3.62 million compare
- 7 Iran, Islamic Republic of 3.11 million compare
- 8 Morocco 2.99 million compare
More education data for UNICEF: World
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 1.22 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.4208 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 336.69 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.7455 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 314.34 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.5772 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 404.15 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 651.03 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 206.38 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 34.04 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in UNICEF: World?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in UNICEF: World was 272.64 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male recorded in UNICEF: World?
- The highest recorded value was 342.16 million in 1993.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male recorded in UNICEF: World?
- The lowest recorded value was 269.89 million in 2018.
- How does UNICEF: World rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male?
- UNICEF: World ranks 5th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male rising or falling in UNICEF: World?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this UNICEF: World 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