Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in WB: Europe & Central Asia

WB: Europe & Central Asia: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male was 3.17 million in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
3.17 million
Change on year
down 0.3%
Rank
161st
of 203 groups
All-time high
5.35 million
in 2008
All-time low
3.17 million
in 2023
Years of data
16
2008–2023

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in WB: Europe & Central Asia, 2008–2023

02.0M4.0M6.0M2008201520232008: 5.4M2009: 5.1M2010: 4.9M2011: 4.6M2012: 4.5M2013: 4.3M2014: 4.3M2015: 4.2M2016: 4.1M2017: 3.9M2018: 3.7M2019: 3.6M2020: 3.5M2021: 3.2M2022: 3.2M2023: 3.2M

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

The most recent figure for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in WB: Europe & Central Asia is 3.17 million, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 16 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 26.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in WB: Europe & Central Asia peaked at 5.35 million in 2008 and was at its lowest, 3.17 million, in 2023.

That places WB: Europe & Central Asia 161st out of 203 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 16 years of available data.

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in WB: Europe & Central Asia, year by year

Annual values for Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male (number) in WB: Europe & Central Asia, 2008 to 2023.
Year Value Change
2008 5.35 million
2009 5.11 million -4.6%
2010 4.86 million -4.8%
2011 4.62 million -5.0%
2012 4.46 million -3.4%
2013 4.33 million -2.9%
2014 4.27 million -1.5%
2015 4.17 million -2.2%
2016 4.07 million -2.5%
2017 3.91 million -3.9%
2018 3.72 million -4.9%
2019 3.59 million -3.6%
2020 3.51 million -2.2%
2021 3.18 million -9.4%
2022 3.18 million +0.1%
2023 3.17 million -0.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 5.23 million 5.11 million 5.35 million 2
2010s 4.20 million 3.59 million 4.86 million 10
2020s 3.26 million 3.17 million 3.51 million 4

More education data for WB: Europe & Central Asia

All data for WB: Europe & Central Asia →

Frequently asked questions

What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in WB: Europe & Central Asia?
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in WB: Europe & Central Asia was 3.17 million in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male recorded in WB: Europe & Central Asia?
The highest recorded value was 5.35 million in 2008.
What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male recorded in WB: Europe & Central Asia?
The lowest recorded value was 3.17 million in 2023.
How does WB: Europe & Central Asia rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male?
WB: Europe & Central Asia ranks 161st out of 203 groups with data for 2023.
Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male rising or falling in WB: Europe & Central Asia?
Over the last ten years it is down 26.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this WB: Europe & Central Asia 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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Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in WB: Europe & Central Asia. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 13 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/adult-illiterate-population-15-years-male-number-2/wb-europe-and-central-asia/

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About this data

Indicator
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
262 places, 6,933 data points, 1989–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release