Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Philippines
Philippines: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female was 48.0% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Philippines, 1990–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
Philippines recorded 48.0% for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 11.6% on the previous year and down 4.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Philippines peaked at 54.0% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 43.0%, in 2019.
Philippines ranks 53rd of 59 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 10 years of available data.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Philippines, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 54.0% | — |
| 1994 | 46.0% | -14.8% |
| 2000 | 50.0% | +8.7% |
| 2003 | 44.0% | -12.0% |
| 2008 | 46.0% | +4.5% |
| 2010 | 50.0% | +8.7% |
| 2013 | 45.0% | -10.0% |
| 2015 | 49.0% | +8.9% |
| 2019 | 43.0% | -12.2% |
| 2020 | 48.0% | +11.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 50.0% | 46.0% | 54.0% | 2 |
| 2000s | 46.7% | 44.0% | 50.0% | 3 |
| 2010s | 46.8% | 43.0% | 50.0% | 4 |
| 2020s | 48.0% | 48.0% | 48.0% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Philippines
- 50 Colombia 49.0% compare
- 50 Honduras 49.0% compare
- 50 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 49.0% compare
- 53 Kuwait 48.0% compare
- 55 Dominican Republic 47.0% compare
- 56 United Arab Emirates 44.0% compare
More education data for Philippines
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 13.06 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.8345 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1128 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 13.06 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.8345 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per capita 0.1128 units per person (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 6.30 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Philippines?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Philippines was 48.0% in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female recorded in Philippines?
- The highest recorded value was 54.0% in 1990.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female recorded in Philippines?
- The lowest recorded value was 43.0% in 2019.
- How does Philippines rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female?
- Philippines ranks 53rd out of 59 countries with data for 2020.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female rising or falling in Philippines?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Philippines data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release