Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, both sexes (number) by country
February 2026 Data Release
Countries reporting
40
Highest
15.08 million
Pakistan
Lowest
2
Uzbekistan
Median
406,809
Years covered
35
1990–2024
Data points
374
What the numbers show
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, both sexes (number) is currently reported for 40 countries. The highest value is 15.08 million in Pakistan; the lowest is 2 in Uzbekistan.
The median across all reporting countries is 406,809, and the mean is 1.66 million.
Over the past decade 19 countries rose and 21 fell. The largest increase was in Jordan (up 423.6%), and the largest decrease in Uzbekistan (down 99.8%).
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, both sexes: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pakistan | 15.08 million | 2019 | up 22.5% | rising |
| 2 | Bangladesh | 12.62 million | 2022 | up 6.4% | rising |
| 3 | Brazil | 7.14 million | 2018 | down 15.8% | falling |
| 4 | Iran, Islamic Republic of | 4.91 million | 2016 | up 4.5% | rising |
| 5 | Morocco | 3.77 million | 2014 | down 0.7% | flat |
| 6 | Indonesia | 2.51 million | 2020 | down 23.9% | falling |
| 7 | Mexico | 2.28 million | 2020 | down 15.5% | falling |
| 8 | Türkiye | 1.97 million | 2015 | down 27.5% | falling |
| 9 | South Africa | 1.84 million | 2024 | up 131.4% | rising |
| 10 | Senegal | 1.73 million | 2017 | up 45.8% | rising |
| 11 | Burkina Faso | 1.52 million | 2019 | up 147.5% | rising |
| 12 | Mozambique | 1.28 million | 2020 | up 22.0% | rising |
| 13 | Mali | 1.15 million | 2018 | down 12.5% | falling |
| 14 | Thailand | 1.06 million | 2018 | up 27.4% | rising |
| 15 | Colombia | 891,500 | 2020 | down 20.6% | falling |
| 16 | Uganda | 822,593 | 2014 | up 268.5% | volatile |
| 17 | Guatemala | 761,152 | 2018 | up 12.3% | rising |
| 18 | Malaysia | 727,394 | 2022 | up 10.7% | rising |
| 19 | Peru | 703,540 | 2020 | up 31.7% | falling |
| 20 | Spain | 417,633 | 2020 | down 30.8% | falling |
| 21 | Jordan | 395,985 | 2024 | up 423.6% | rising |
| 22 | Chile | 372,175 | 2017 | up 26.9% | rising |
| 23 | Philippines | 339,878 | 2020 | down 40.1% | rising |
| 24 | Togo | 336,883 | 2019 | down 25.6% | falling |
| 25 | Dominican Republic | 315,698 | 2024 | up 27.9% | falling |
| 26 | Cambodia | 307,933 | 2019 | up 45.2% | rising |
| 27 | El Salvador | 243,422 | 2024 | up 4.7% | falling |
| 28 | Honduras | 231,382 | 2019 | up 19.7% | rising |
| 29 | Ecuador | 165,948 | 2022 | down 38.8% | flat |
| 30 | Sri Lanka | 140,537 | 2024 | down 5.0% | rising |
| 31 | Bolivia, Plurinational State of | 112,734 | 2023 | down 10.0% | falling |
| 32 | Paraguay | 105,417 | 2020 | up 32.1% | rising |
| 33 | Oman | 64,343 | 2022 | down 62.6% | falling |
| 34 | Palestine, State of | 55,654 | 2022 | down 34.3% | falling |
| 35 | Uruguay | 30,281 | 2022 | down 22.2% | falling |
| 36 | Kuwait | 24,408 | 2018 | down 18.5% | falling |
| 37 | Azerbaijan | 6,320 | 2023 | down 26.5% | falling |
| 38 | Georgia | 2,132 | 2024 | down 29.9% | rising |
| 39 | Armenia | 1,780 | 2020 | down 13.2% | volatile |
| 40 | Uzbekistan | 2 | 2022 | down 99.8% | volatile |
About this data
February 2026 Data Release