Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, male in Bangladesh

Bangladesh: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, male was 5.37 million in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
5.37 million
Change on year
up 40.7%
World rank
2nd
of 40 countries
All-time high
5.37 million
in 2022
All-time low
2.71 million
in 2014
Years of data
14
1991–2022

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, male in Bangladesh, 1991–2022

02.0M4.0M6.0M1991200620221991: 2.9M2001: 3.5M2011: 5.0M2012: 5.1M2013: 2.7M2014: 2.7M2015: 4.6M2016: 4.0M2017: 4.0M2018: 3.9M2019: 3.9M2020: 3.8M2021: 3.8M2022: 5.4M

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

The most recent figure for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, male in Bangladesh is 5.37 million, measured in 2022. That is the highest value across all 14 years on record.

The figure is up 40.7% on the previous year and up 5.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, male in Bangladesh peaked at 5.37 million in 2022 and was at its lowest, 2.71 million, in 2014.

Bangladesh ranks 2nd of 40 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 14 years of available data.

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, male in Bangladesh, year by year

Annual values for Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, male (number) in Bangladesh, 1991 to 2022.
Year Value Change
1991 2.90 million
2001 3.48 million +19.9%
2011 4.98 million +43.2%
2012 5.12 million +2.8%
2013 2.72 million -46.8%
2014 2.71 million -0.4%
2015 4.60 million +69.5%
2016 4.02 million -12.6%
2017 3.99 million -0.8%
2018 3.93 million -1.3%
2019 3.88 million -1.4%
2020 3.84 million -0.9%
2021 3.82 million -0.7%
2022 5.37 million +40.7%

Bangladesh compared with similar countries

  • Bangladesh's 5.37 million is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 103,637, 51.8× the median. (10 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, male in Bangladesh changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
2015 +69.5% 2.71 million 4.60 million
2013 -46.8% 5.12 million 2.72 million
2011 +43.2% 3.48 million 4.98 million
2022 +40.7% 3.82 million 5.37 million

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 2.90 million 2.90 million 2.90 million 1
2000s 3.48 million 3.48 million 3.48 million 1
2010s 3.99 million 2.71 million 5.12 million 9
2020s 4.34 million 3.82 million 5.37 million 3

Countries ranked near Bangladesh

  1. 1 Pakistan 5.90 million compare
  2. 3 Brazil 3.27 million compare
  3. 4 Iran, Islamic Republic of 1.61 million compare
  4. 5 Morocco 1.16 million compare

See the full ranking of 40 places →

More education data for Bangladesh

All data for Bangladesh →

Frequently asked questions

What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, male in Bangladesh?
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, male in Bangladesh was 5.37 million in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, male recorded in Bangladesh?
The highest recorded value was 5.37 million in 2022.
What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, male recorded in Bangladesh?
The lowest recorded value was 2.71 million in 2014.
How does Bangladesh rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, male?
Bangladesh ranks 2nd out of 40 countries with data for 2022.
Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, male rising or falling in Bangladesh?
Over the last ten years it is up 5.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Bangladesh data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, male (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, male in Bangladesh. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 13 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/adult-illiterate-population-15-years-urban-male-number/bangladesh/

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About this data

Indicator
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, male (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
40 places, 374 data points, 1990–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release