Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries): Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male was 12.47 million number in 2019. ▼ Falling
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries), 1974–2019
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.
Analysis
In 2019, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) stood at 12.47 million number. That is the lowest value across all 46 years on record.
The figure is down 5.9% on the previous year and down 18.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 19.57 million number in 1990 and was at its lowest, 12.47 million number, in 2019.
That places Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) 30th out of 39 groups with data for 2019, putting it 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 & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | number | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 16.43 million number | — |
| 1975 | 16.91 million number | +2.9% |
| 1976 | 17.16 million number | +1.5% |
| 1977 | 17.37 million number | +1.2% |
| 1978 | 17.55 million number | +1.1% |
| 1979 | 17.78 million number | +1.3% |
| 1980 | 18.12 million number | +1.9% |
| 1981 | 18.24 million number | +0.7% |
| 1982 | 18.46 million number | +1.2% |
| 1983 | 18.64 million number | +0.9% |
| 1984 | 18.84 million number | +1.1% |
| 1985 | 19.04 million number | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 19.23 million number | +1.0% |
| 1987 | 19.33 million number | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 19.32 million number | -0.0% |
| 1989 | 19.36 million number | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 19.57 million number | +1.1% |
| 1991 | 19.25 million number | -1.6% |
| 1992 | 18.86 million number | -2.0% |
| 1993 | 18.43 million number | -2.3% |
| 1994 | 17.99 million number | -2.4% |
| 1995 | 17.49 million number | -2.8% |
| 1996 | 17.47 million number | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 17.42 million number | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 17.14 million number | -1.6% |
| 1999 | 17.11 million number | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 17.19 million number | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 17.25 million number | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 17.51 million number | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 16.55 million number | -5.5% |
| 2004 | 16.94 million number | +2.4% |
| 2005 | 16.44 million number | -3.0% |
| 2006 | 16.43 million number | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 15.91 million number | -3.2% |
| 2008 | 15.77 million number | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 15.27 million number | -3.2% |
| 2010 | 15.96 million number | +4.5% |
| 2011 | 14.92 million number | -6.5% |
| 2012 | 14.91 million number | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 15.10 million number | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 14.46 million number | -4.3% |
| 2015 | 14.20 million number | -1.8% |
| 2016 | 13.35 million number | -6.0% |
| 2017 | 13.32 million number | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 13.25 million number | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 12.47 million number | -5.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 17.20 million number | 16.43 million number | 17.78 million number | 6 |
| 1980s | 18.86 million number | 18.12 million number | 19.36 million number | 10 |
| 1990s | 18.07 million number | 17.11 million number | 19.57 million number | 10 |
| 2000s | 16.53 million number | 15.27 million number | 17.51 million number | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.19 million number | 12.47 million number | 15.96 million number | 10 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
More education data for Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 3.22 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 62.34 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 60.53 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.1513 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0936 units per person (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 67.7% (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 22.3% (2025)
All data for Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) was 12.47 million number in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male recorded in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 19.57 million number in 1990.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male recorded in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.47 million number in 2019.
- How does Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male?
- Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 30th out of 39 groups with data for 2019.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male rising or falling in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) 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.