Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Europe & Central Asia

Europe & Central Asia: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female was 66.3% in 2019. ▼ Falling

Latest (2019)
66.3%
Change on year
down 0.2%
Rank
8th
of 39 groups
All-time high
71.4%
in 2006
All-time low
66.3%
in 2019
Years of data
26
1994–2019

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Europe & Central Asia, 1994–2019

0204060801994200620191994: 71.31995: 71.21996: 711997: 70.91998: 70.11999: 69.92000: 70.52001: 70.52002: 71.12003: 712004: 70.92005: 70.82006: 71.42007: 70.72008: 71.12009: 69.12010: 68.62011: 67.92012: 67.52013: 67.42014: 67.22015: 67.22016: 66.72017: 66.82018: 66.42019: 66.3

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

Europe & Central Asia recorded 66.3% for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in 2019. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.

The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 4.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Europe & Central Asia peaked at 71.4% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 66.3%, in 2019.

Europe & Central Asia ranks 8th of 39 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Europe & Central Asia, year by year

Annual values for Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Europe & Central Asia, 1994 to 2019.
Year Value Change
1994 71.3%
1995 71.2% -0.2%
1996 71.0% -0.3%
1997 70.9% -0.2%
1998 70.1% -1.1%
1999 69.9% -0.3%
2000 70.5% +0.9%
2001 70.5% -0.0%
2002 71.1% +0.9%
2003 71.0% -0.1%
2004 70.9% -0.2%
2005 70.8% -0.1%
2006 71.4% +0.8%
2007 70.7% -1.0%
2008 71.1% +0.6%
2009 69.1% -2.8%
2010 68.6% -0.8%
2011 67.9% -1.0%
2012 67.5% -0.5%
2013 67.4% -0.2%
2014 67.2% -0.2%
2015 67.2% -0.1%
2016 66.7% -0.7%
2017 66.8% +0.2%
2018 66.4% -0.6%
2019 66.3% -0.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 70.8% 69.9% 71.3% 6
2000s 70.7% 69.1% 71.4% 10
2010s 67.2% 66.3% 68.6% 10

Countries ranked near Europe & Central Asia

  1. 5 Singapore 76.3% compare
  2. 6 Palestine, State of 75.7% compare
  3. 7 China 75.3% compare
  4. 8 Macau, China 75.2% compare
  5. 9 Peru 74.7% compare
  6. 10 Sao Tome and Principe 73.5% compare
  7. 11 Nepal 71.1% compare

See the full ranking of 126 places →

More education data for Europe & Central Asia

All data for Europe & Central Asia →

Frequently asked questions

What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Europe & Central Asia?
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Europe & Central Asia was 66.3% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female recorded in Europe & Central Asia?
The highest recorded value was 71.4% in 2006.
What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female recorded in Europe & Central Asia?
The lowest recorded value was 66.3% in 2019.
How does Europe & Central Asia rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female?
Europe & Central Asia ranks 8th out of 39 groups with data for 2019.
Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female rising or falling in Europe & Central Asia?
Over the last ten years it is down 4.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Europe & Central Asia 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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Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Europe & Central Asia. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 13 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/adult-illiterate-population-15-years-percent-female/europe-and-central-asia/

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About this data

Indicator
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
126 places, 2,267 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Share of the adult illiterate population (age 15+) that is female.