Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in WB: South Asia
WB: South Asia: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male was 95.67 million in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
95.67 million
Change on year
down 1.6%
Rank
33rd
of 203 groups
All-time high
117.27 million
in 2006
All-time low
95.67 million
in 2024
Years of data
26
1999–2024
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in WB: South Asia, 1999–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
WB: South Asia recorded 95.67 million for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.6% on the previous year and down 13.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in WB: South Asia peaked at 117.27 million in 2006 and was at its lowest, 95.67 million, in 2024.
WB: South Asia ranks 33rd of 203 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in WB: South Asia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 113.19 million | — |
| 2000 | 111.61 million | -1.4% |
| 2001 | 113.34 million | +1.5% |
| 2002 | 113.38 million | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 113.36 million | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 113.27 million | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 113.81 million | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 117.27 million | +3.0% |
| 2007 | 116.94 million | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 116.51 million | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 116.06 million | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 110.42 million | -4.9% |
| 2011 | 110.84 million | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 114.75 million | +3.5% |
| 2013 | 111.25 million | -3.0% |
| 2014 | 110.94 million | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 106.63 million | -3.9% |
| 2016 | 102.38 million | -4.0% |
| 2017 | 101.88 million | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 100.95 million | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 104.61 million | +3.6% |
| 2020 | 103.34 million | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 101.17 million | -2.1% |
| 2022 | 98.74 million | -2.4% |
| 2023 | 97.22 million | -1.5% |
| 2024 | 95.67 million | -1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 113.19 million | 113.19 million | 113.19 million | 1 |
| 2000s | 114.56 million | 111.61 million | 117.27 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 107.47 million | 100.95 million | 114.75 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 99.23 million | 95.67 million | 103.34 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near WB: South Asia
- 30 Peru 361,507 compare
- 31 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 321,221 compare
- 32 Chile 253,247 compare
- 33 Dominican Republic 252,186 compare
- 34 Türkiye 236,887 compare
- 35 Saudi Arabia 230,859 compare
- 36 Lao People's Democratic Republic 225,730 compare
More education data for WB: South Asia
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 4.46 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate -1.3 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 74.44 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 3.24 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 5.84 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -2.02 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 152.88 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 77.39 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 160.82 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 4.5 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in WB: South Asia?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in WB: South Asia was 95.67 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male recorded in WB: South Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 117.27 million in 2006.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male recorded in WB: South Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 95.67 million in 2024.
- How does WB: South Asia rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male?
- WB: South Asia ranks 33rd out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male rising or falling in WB: South Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this WB: South 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release