Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)
Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income): Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male was 12.17 million number in 2019. ▼ Falling
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income), 1974–2019
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.
Analysis
Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) recorded 12.17 million number for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in 2019. That is the lowest value across all 46 years on record.
The figure is down 6.0% on the previous year and down 19.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) peaked at 19.18 million number in 1990 and was at its lowest, 12.17 million number, in 2019.
Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) ranks 31st of 39 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 46 years of available data.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | number | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 15.98 million number | — |
| 1975 | 16.45 million number | +2.9% |
| 1976 | 16.69 million number | +1.5% |
| 1977 | 16.90 million number | +1.2% |
| 1978 | 17.09 million number | +1.1% |
| 1979 | 17.32 million number | +1.3% |
| 1980 | 17.66 million number | +2.0% |
| 1981 | 17.79 million number | +0.8% |
| 1982 | 18.00 million number | +1.2% |
| 1983 | 18.19 million number | +1.0% |
| 1984 | 18.39 million number | +1.1% |
| 1985 | 18.60 million number | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 18.79 million number | +1.1% |
| 1987 | 18.89 million number | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 18.88 million number | -0.0% |
| 1989 | 18.97 million number | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 19.18 million number | +1.1% |
| 1991 | 18.87 million number | -1.6% |
| 1992 | 18.48 million number | -2.0% |
| 1993 | 18.05 million number | -2.3% |
| 1994 | 17.62 million number | -2.4% |
| 1995 | 17.13 million number | -2.8% |
| 1996 | 17.11 million number | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 17.07 million number | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 16.80 million number | -1.6% |
| 1999 | 16.76 million number | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 16.84 million number | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 16.90 million number | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 17.17 million number | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 16.20 million number | -5.7% |
| 2004 | 16.60 million number | +2.5% |
| 2005 | 16.10 million number | -3.0% |
| 2006 | 16.11 million number | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 15.72 million number | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 15.54 million number | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 15.06 million number | -3.1% |
| 2010 | 15.68 million number | +4.1% |
| 2011 | 14.63 million number | -6.6% |
| 2012 | 14.64 million number | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 14.78 million number | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 14.15 million number | -4.3% |
| 2015 | 13.91 million number | -1.7% |
| 2016 | 13.09 million number | -5.9% |
| 2017 | 13.00 million number | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 12.94 million number | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 12.17 million number | -6.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 16.74 million number | 15.98 million number | 17.32 million number | 6 |
| 1980s | 18.42 million number | 17.66 million number | 18.97 million number | 10 |
| 1990s | 17.71 million number | 16.76 million number | 19.18 million number | 10 |
| 2000s | 16.22 million number | 15.06 million number | 17.17 million number | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.90 million number | 12.17 million number | 15.68 million number | 10 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)
More education data for Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)
- Population ages 15-64 67.7% (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0886 units per person (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.215 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 55.17 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 2.79 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 57.82 million (2024)
- Population ages 0-14 22.4% (2025)
All data for Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) was 12.17 million number in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male recorded in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 19.18 million number in 1990.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male recorded in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.17 million number in 2019.
- How does Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male?
- Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) ranks 31st out of 39 groups with data for 2019.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) 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
Total number of males over age 15 who cannot both read and write with understanding a short simple statement on their everyday life.