Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in Nepal

Nepal: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male was 1.81 million number in 2018. ▼ Falling

Latest (2018)
1.81 million number
World rank
21st
of 87 countries
All-time high
3.03 million number
in 1981
All-time low
1.81 million number
in 2018
Years of data
5
1981–2018

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in Nepal, 1981–2018

01.0M2.0M3.0M1981199920181981: 3.0M number1991: 2.8M number2001: 2.6M number2011: 2.3M number2018: 1.8M number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

In 2018, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in Nepal stood at 1.81 million number. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 21.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in Nepal peaked at 3.03 million number in 1981 and was at its lowest, 1.81 million number, in 2018.

That places Nepal 21st out of 87 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top quarter.

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in Nepal, year by year

Annual values for Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male (number) in Nepal, 1981 to 2018.
Year number Change
1981 3.03 million number
1991 2.78 million number -8.2%
2001 2.63 million number -5.6%
2011 2.32 million number -11.5%
2018 1.81 million number -21.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 3.03 million number 3.03 million number 3.03 million number 1
1990s 2.78 million number 2.78 million number 2.78 million number 1
2000s 2.63 million number 2.63 million number 2.63 million number 1
2010s 2.07 million number 1.81 million number 2.32 million number 2

Countries ranked near Nepal

  1. 18 Mozambique 2.04 million number compare
  2. 19 Uganda 1.89 million number compare
  3. 20 Algeria 1.87 million number compare
  4. 22 Madagascar 1.75 million number compare
  5. 23 Mexico 1.68 million number compare
  6. 24 Benin 1.50 million number compare

See the full ranking of 126 places →

More education data for Nepal

All data for Nepal →

Frequently asked questions

What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in Nepal?
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male in Nepal was 1.81 million number in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male recorded in Nepal?
The highest recorded value was 3.03 million number in 1981.
What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male recorded in Nepal?
The lowest recorded value was 1.81 million number in 2018.
How does Nepal rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male?
Nepal ranks 21st out of 87 countries with data for 2018.
Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male rising or falling in Nepal?
Over the last ten years it is down 21.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Nepal 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 Nepal. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/adult-illiterate-population-15-years-male-number/nepal/

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About this data

Indicator
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
126 places, 2,271 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Total number of males over age 15 who cannot both read and write with understanding a short simple statement on their everyday life.