Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Arab World
Arab World: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female was 60.7% in 2019. ▬ Flat
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Arab World, 1977–2019
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Arab World is 60.7%, measured in 2019. That is the lowest value across all 43 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.1% on the previous year and down 2.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Arab World peaked at 66.2% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 60.7%, in 2019.
That places Arab World 24th out of 38 groups with data for 2019, putting it in the middle of the range.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Arab World, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 62.7% | — |
| 1978 | 62.6% | -0.2% |
| 1979 | 62.5% | -0.2% |
| 1980 | 62.5% | -0.1% |
| 1981 | 62.5% | -0.0% |
| 1982 | 62.5% | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 62.3% | -0.3% |
| 1984 | 62.3% | +0.1% |
| 1985 | 62.5% | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 62.6% | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 62.5% | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 62.7% | +0.2% |
| 1989 | 62.7% | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 62.8% | +0.1% |
| 1991 | 63.0% | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 63.0% | -0.0% |
| 1993 | 63.6% | +1.1% |
| 1994 | 63.5% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 63.7% | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 63.8% | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 64.0% | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 64.2% | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 64.2% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 63.9% | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 64.4% | +0.8% |
| 2002 | 64.5% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 66.2% | +2.7% |
| 2004 | 66.0% | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 64.9% | -1.6% |
| 2006 | 62.8% | -3.2% |
| 2007 | 63.1% | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 62.7% | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 62.3% | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 62.0% | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 62.2% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 63.6% | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 64.0% | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 63.8% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 62.3% | -2.3% |
| 2016 | 62.2% | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 61.8% | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 60.8% | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 60.7% | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 62.6% | 62.5% | 62.7% | 3 |
| 1980s | 62.5% | 62.3% | 62.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 63.6% | 62.8% | 64.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 64.1% | 62.3% | 66.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 62.4% | 60.7% | 64.0% | 10 |
Countries ranked near Arab World
More education data for Arab World
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 55.62 million (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 2.58 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 32.0% (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 40.79 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1129 units per person (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.7891 % change on previous year (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 63.3% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Arab World?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Arab World was 60.7% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female recorded in Arab World?
- The highest recorded value was 66.2% in 2003.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female recorded in Arab World?
- The lowest recorded value was 60.7% in 2019.
- How does Arab World rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female?
- Arab World ranks 24th out of 38 groups with data for 2019.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female rising or falling in Arab World?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Arab World 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.
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About this data
Share of the adult illiterate population (age 15+) that is female.