Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Least developed countries

Least developed countries: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female was 60.3% in 2019. ▬ Flat

Latest (2019)
60.3%
Change on year
down 0.1%
Rank
30th
of 38 groups
All-time high
61.0%
in 2004
All-time low
59.5%
in 2007
Years of data
39
1981–2019

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Least developed countries, 1981–2019

02040601981200020191981: 59.81982: 59.81983: 59.81984: 59.81985: 59.81986: 59.81987: 59.81988: 60.11989: 60.21990: 60.21991: 60.11992: 60.11993: 60.11994: 60.11995: 601996: 601997: 59.91998: 60.31999: 60.42000: 60.22001: 59.92002: 60.72003: 60.72004: 612005: 60.62006: 60.42007: 59.52008: 60.42009: 60.52010: 60.42011: 60.22012: 60.22013: 60.32014: 60.42015: 60.32016: 60.62017: 60.42018: 60.42019: 60.3

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

The most recent figure for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Least developed countries is 60.3%, measured in 2019.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 0.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Least developed countries peaked at 61.0% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 59.5%, in 2007.

That places Least developed countries 30th out of 38 groups with data for 2019, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Least developed countries, year by year

Annual values for Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Least developed countries, 1981 to 2019.
Year Value Change
1981 59.8%
1982 59.8% +0.1%
1983 59.8% +0.0%
1984 59.8% +0.0%
1985 59.8% +0.0%
1986 59.8% -0.0%
1987 59.8% +0.0%
1988 60.1% +0.5%
1989 60.2% +0.1%
1990 60.2% -0.0%
1991 60.1% -0.3%
1992 60.1% +0.1%
1993 60.1% -0.1%
1994 60.1% -0.0%
1995 60.0% -0.0%
1996 60.0% -0.1%
1997 59.9% -0.0%
1998 60.3% +0.6%
1999 60.4% +0.2%
2000 60.2% -0.4%
2001 59.9% -0.4%
2002 60.7% +1.2%
2003 60.7% +0.0%
2004 61.0% +0.6%
2005 60.6% -0.7%
2006 60.4% -0.4%
2007 59.5% -1.5%
2008 60.4% +1.5%
2009 60.5% +0.2%
2010 60.4% -0.1%
2011 60.2% -0.3%
2012 60.2% -0.1%
2013 60.3% +0.1%
2014 60.4% +0.2%
2015 60.3% -0.0%
2016 60.6% +0.4%
2017 60.4% -0.3%
2018 60.4% -0.1%
2019 60.3% -0.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 59.9% 59.8% 60.2% 9
1990s 60.1% 59.9% 60.4% 10
2000s 60.4% 59.5% 61.0% 10
2010s 60.3% 60.2% 60.6% 10

Countries ranked near Least developed countries

  1. 27 Guatemala 65.8% compare
  2. 28 Senegal 65.7% compare
  3. 29 Zambia 65.4% compare
  4. 30 Suriname 65.3% compare
  5. 31 Viet Nam 65.2% compare
  6. 32 Greece 64.8% compare
  7. 33 Uganda 64.4% compare

See the full ranking of 126 places →

More education data for Least developed countries

All data for Least developed countries →

Frequently asked questions

What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Least developed countries?
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Least developed countries was 60.3% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female recorded in Least developed countries?
The highest recorded value was 61.0% in 2004.
What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female recorded in Least developed countries?
The lowest recorded value was 59.5% in 2007.
How does Least developed countries rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female?
Least developed countries ranks 30th out of 38 groups with data for 2019.
Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female rising or falling in Least developed countries?
Over the last ten years it is down 0.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Least developed countries 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 — 39 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Least developed countries. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/adult-illiterate-population-15-years-percent-female/least-developed-countries-un-classification/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://education.statizoid.com/stat/adult-illiterate-population-15-years-percent-female/least-developed-countries-un-classification/">Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female in Least developed countries</a> — Statizoid

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.