Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in WB: East Asia & Pacific (ida & Ibrd)
WB: East Asia & Pacific (ida & Ibrd): Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male was 16.17 million in 2024. ▼ Falling
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in WB: East Asia & Pacific (ida & Ibrd), 1989–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in WB: East Asia & Pacific (ida & Ibrd) stood at 16.17 million. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
The figure is down 2.8% on the previous year and down 25.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in WB: East Asia & Pacific (ida & Ibrd) peaked at 63.86 million in 1989 and was at its lowest, 16.17 million, in 2024.
WB: East Asia & Pacific (ida & Ibrd) ranks 109th of 203 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in WB: East Asia & Pacific (ida & Ibrd), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 63.86 million | — |
| 1990 | 61.74 million | -3.3% |
| 1991 | 61.00 million | -1.2% |
| 1992 | 60.23 million | -1.3% |
| 1993 | 59.75 million | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 58.58 million | -2.0% |
| 1995 | 57.37 million | -2.1% |
| 1996 | 56.43 million | -1.6% |
| 1997 | 37.67 million | -33.2% |
| 1998 | 37.05 million | -1.6% |
| 1999 | 36.55 million | -1.4% |
| 2000 | 35.45 million | -3.0% |
| 2001 | 34.83 million | -1.8% |
| 2002 | 34.11 million | -2.1% |
| 2003 | 33.60 million | -1.5% |
| 2004 | 32.83 million | -2.3% |
| 2005 | 32.08 million | -2.3% |
| 2006 | 31.10 million | -3.0% |
| 2007 | 26.15 million | -15.9% |
| 2008 | 25.09 million | -4.1% |
| 2009 | 24.48 million | -2.4% |
| 2010 | 25.18 million | +2.9% |
| 2011 | 23.97 million | -4.8% |
| 2012 | 23.22 million | -3.1% |
| 2013 | 23.26 million | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 21.76 million | -6.5% |
| 2015 | 20.43 million | -6.1% |
| 2016 | 19.71 million | -3.6% |
| 2017 | 19.23 million | -2.4% |
| 2018 | 19.92 million | +3.6% |
| 2019 | 19.41 million | -2.5% |
| 2020 | 18.14 million | -6.5% |
| 2021 | 17.64 million | -2.8% |
| 2022 | 17.10 million | -3.1% |
| 2023 | 16.64 million | -2.7% |
| 2024 | 16.17 million | -2.8% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in WB: East Asia & Pacific (ida & Ibrd) changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | -33.2% | 56.43 million | 37.67 million |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 63.86 million | 63.86 million | 63.86 million | 1 |
| 1990s | 52.64 million | 36.55 million | 61.74 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 30.97 million | 24.48 million | 35.45 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.61 million | 19.23 million | 25.18 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.14 million | 16.17 million | 18.14 million | 5 |
More education data for WB: East Asia & Pacific (ida & Ibrd)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.71 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 75.60 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.13 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 83.64 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 2.41 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 40.84 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 1.61 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 42.58 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 83.42 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 2 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in WB: East Asia & Pacific (ida & Ibrd)?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in WB: East Asia & Pacific (ida & Ibrd) was 16.17 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male recorded in WB: East Asia & Pacific (ida & Ibrd)?
- The highest recorded value was 63.86 million in 1989.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male recorded in WB: East Asia & Pacific (ida & Ibrd)?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.17 million in 2024.
- How does WB: East Asia & Pacific (ida & Ibrd) rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male?
- WB: East Asia & Pacific (ida & Ibrd) ranks 109th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male rising or falling in WB: East Asia & Pacific (ida & Ibrd)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this WB: East Asia & Pacific (ida & Ibrd) 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