Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, both sexes in Mexico
Mexico: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, both sexes was 2.28 million in 2020. ▼ Falling
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, both sexes in Mexico, 2004–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
Mexico recorded 2.28 million for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, both sexes in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 9.9% on the previous year and down 15.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, both sexes in Mexico peaked at 3.61 million in 2004 and was at its lowest, 2.08 million, in 2018.
That places Mexico 7th out of 40 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 16 years of available data.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, both sexes in Mexico, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 3.61 million | — |
| 2005 | 2.93 million | -18.9% |
| 2006 | 3.33 million | +13.6% |
| 2007 | 2.73 million | -18.0% |
| 2008 | 2.72 million | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 2.65 million | -2.8% |
| 2010 | 2.70 million | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 2.58 million | -4.4% |
| 2012 | 2.39 million | -7.4% |
| 2013 | 2.48 million | +3.8% |
| 2014 | 2.32 million | -6.3% |
| 2015 | 2.34 million | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 2.26 million | -3.0% |
| 2017 | 2.19 million | -3.1% |
| 2018 | 2.08 million | -5.3% |
| 2020 | 2.28 million | +9.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.99 million | 2.65 million | 3.61 million | 6 |
| 2010s | 2.37 million | 2.08 million | 2.70 million | 9 |
| 2020s | 2.28 million | 2.28 million | 2.28 million | 1 |
Countries ranked near Mexico
More education data for Mexico
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 868,550 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 96,349 (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.14 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 2.11 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 13.99 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 13.19 million (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, both sexes in Mexico?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, both sexes in Mexico was 2.28 million in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, both sexes recorded in Mexico?
- The highest recorded value was 3.61 million in 2004.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, both sexes recorded in Mexico?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.08 million in 2018.
- How does Mexico rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, both sexes?
- Mexico ranks 7th out of 40 countries with data for 2020.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, both sexes rising or falling in Mexico?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Mexico data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 16 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release