Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in WB: World
WB: World: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male was 272.88 million in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
272.88 million
Change on year
down 0.0%
Rank
4th
of 203 groups
All-time high
342.64 million
in 1993
All-time low
270.17 million
in 2018
Years of data
32
1993–2024
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in WB: World, 1993–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
WB: World recorded 272.88 million for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in 2024.
The figure is down 1.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in WB: World peaked at 342.64 million in 1993 and was at its lowest, 270.17 million, in 2018.
WB: World ranks 4th 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 WB: World, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 342.64 million | — |
| 1994 | 339.23 million | -1.0% |
| 1995 | 335.89 million | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 332.99 million | -0.9% |
| 1997 | 311.84 million | -6.4% |
| 1998 | 289.81 million | -7.1% |
| 1999 | 287.24 million | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 287.07 million | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 288.60 million | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 286.76 million | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 281.76 million | -1.7% |
| 2004 | 280.85 million | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 283.05 million | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 292.27 million | +3.3% |
| 2007 | 289.34 million | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 287.56 million | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 286.31 million | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 283.78 million | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 281.86 million | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 281.86 million | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 279.76 million | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 278.25 million | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 272.89 million | -1.9% |
| 2016 | 271.00 million | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 271.69 million | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 270.17 million | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 275.09 million | +1.8% |
| 2020 | 274.70 million | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 274.46 million | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 273.09 million | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 272.98 million | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 272.88 million | -0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 319.95 million | 287.24 million | 342.64 million | 7 |
| 2000s | 286.36 million | 280.85 million | 292.27 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 276.64 million | 270.17 million | 283.78 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 273.62 million | 272.88 million | 274.70 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near WB: World
- 1 India 62.52 million compare
- 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
More education data for WB: World
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 337.02 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.5777 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 34.10 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 1.22 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 10.50 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 314.66 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.7454 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 1.35 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 268.57 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual -0.3118 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in WB: World?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in WB: World was 272.88 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male recorded in WB: World?
- The highest recorded value was 342.64 million in 1993.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male recorded in WB: World?
- The lowest recorded value was 270.17 million in 2018.
- How does WB: World rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male?
- WB: World ranks 4th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male rising or falling in WB: World?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this WB: 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