Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, rural, both sexes was 12.62 million in 2022. ▼ Falling
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Bangladesh, 1991–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2022, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Bangladesh stood at 12.62 million. That is the lowest value across all 14 years on record.
The figure is down 32.4% on the previous year and down 60.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Bangladesh peaked at 37.22 million in 2001 and was at its lowest, 12.62 million, in 2022.
That places Bangladesh 2nd out of 40 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 14 years of available data.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Bangladesh, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 35.61 million | — |
| 2001 | 37.22 million | +4.5% |
| 2011 | 30.16 million | -19.0% |
| 2012 | 31.55 million | +4.6% |
| 2013 | 34.64 million | +9.8% |
| 2014 | 35.23 million | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 27.20 million | -22.8% |
| 2016 | 20.60 million | -24.3% |
| 2017 | 20.97 million | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 20.31 million | -3.2% |
| 2019 | 19.96 million | -1.7% |
| 2020 | 20.16 million | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 18.67 million | -7.4% |
| 2022 | 12.62 million | -32.4% |
Bangladesh compared with similar countries
- Bangladesh's 12.62 million is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.17 million, 10.8× the median. (10 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 35.61 million | 35.61 million | 35.61 million | 1 |
| 2000s | 37.22 million | 37.22 million | 37.22 million | 1 |
| 2010s | 26.73 million | 19.96 million | 35.23 million | 9 |
| 2020s | 17.15 million | 12.62 million | 20.16 million | 3 |
Countries ranked near Bangladesh
More education data for Bangladesh
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 571,690 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 387,056 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.73 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.77 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 15.07 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 16.69 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.67 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0961 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Bangladesh?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Bangladesh was 12.62 million in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, rural, both sexes recorded in Bangladesh?
- The highest recorded value was 37.22 million in 2001.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, rural, both sexes recorded in Bangladesh?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.62 million in 2022.
- How does Bangladesh rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, rural, both sexes?
- Bangladesh ranks 2nd out of 40 countries with data for 2022.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, rural, both sexes rising or falling in Bangladesh?
- Over the last ten years it is down 60.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bangladesh data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, rural, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release