Share of population with no formal education in Iraq

Iraq: Share of population with no formal education was 13.2% in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
13.2%
World rank
25th
of 111 countries
All-time high
99.9%
in 1870
All-time low
13.2%
in 2020
Years of data
31
1870–2020

Share of population with no formal education in Iraq, 1870–2020

204060801001870194520201870: 99.9 %1875: 99.9 %1880: 99.9 %1885: 99.9 %1890: 99.8 %1895: 99.7 %1900: 99.7 %1905: 99.7 %1910: 99.6 %1915: 99.8 %1920: 99.8 %1925: 99.7 %1930: 99.6 %1935: 99.4 %1940: 99 %1945: 98.5 %1950: 97.2 %1955: 95.6 %1960: 93 %1965: 88.1 %1970: 79.3 %1975: 72.5 %1980: 64.5 %1985: 52.9 %1990: 42.1 %1995: 34.4 %2000: 27.7 %2005: 26.2 %2010: 21.6 %2015: 16.7 %2020: 13.2 %

Source: Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Iraq recorded 13.2% for share of population with no formal education in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 31 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 38.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population with no formal education in Iraq peaked at 99.9% in 1870 and was at its lowest, 13.2%, in 2020.

That places Iraq 25th out of 111 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 31 years of available data.

Share of population with no formal education in Iraq, year by year

Annual values for Share of population with no formal education in Iraq, 1870 to 2020.
Year % Change
1870 99.9%
1875 99.9% +0.0%
1880 99.9% +0.0%
1885 99.9% +0.0%
1890 99.8% -0.1%
1895 99.7% -0.1%
1900 99.7% +0.0%
1905 99.7% +0.0%
1910 99.6% -0.1%
1915 99.8% +0.2%
1920 99.8% +0.0%
1925 99.7% -0.1%
1930 99.6% -0.1%
1935 99.4% -0.2%
1940 99.0% -0.4%
1945 98.5% -0.5%
1950 97.2% -1.3%
1955 95.6% -1.6%
1960 93.0% -2.7%
1965 88.1% -5.3%
1970 79.3% -10.0%
1975 72.5% -8.6%
1980 64.5% -11.0%
1985 52.9% -18.0%
1990 42.1% -20.4%
1995 34.4% -18.3%
2000 27.7% -19.5%
2005 26.2% -5.4%
2010 21.6% -17.6%
2015 16.7% -22.7%
2020 13.2% -21.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1870s 99.9% 99.9% 99.9% 2
1880s 99.9% 99.9% 99.9% 2
1890s 99.8% 99.7% 99.8% 2
1900s 99.7% 99.7% 99.7% 2
1910s 99.7% 99.6% 99.8% 2
1920s 99.8% 99.7% 99.8% 2
1930s 99.5% 99.4% 99.6% 2
1940s 98.8% 98.5% 99.0% 2
1950s 96.4% 95.6% 97.2% 2
1960s 90.5% 88.1% 93.0% 2
1970s 75.9% 72.5% 79.3% 2
1980s 58.7% 52.9% 64.5% 2
1990s 38.2% 34.4% 42.1% 2
2000s 26.9% 26.2% 27.7% 2
2010s 19.1% 16.7% 21.6% 2
2020s 13.2% 13.2% 13.2% 1

Countries ranked near Iraq

  1. 22 Ghana 15.9% compare
  2. 23 Libya 14.9% compare
  3. 24 Haiti 14.8% compare
  4. 26 Cambodia 12.7% compare
  5. 27 Cameroon 12.3% compare
  6. 28 Guatemala 10.5% compare

See the full ranking of 111 places →

More education data for Iraq

All data for Iraq →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population with no formal education in Iraq?
Share of population with no formal education in Iraq was 13.2% in 2020, according to Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of population with no formal education recorded in Iraq?
The highest recorded value was 99.9% in 1870.
What is the lowest share of population with no formal education recorded in Iraq?
The lowest recorded value was 13.2% in 2020.
How does Iraq rank for share of population with no formal education?
Iraq ranks 25th out of 111 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of population with no formal education rising or falling in Iraq?
Over the last ten years it is down 38.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Iraq data come from?
The figures come from Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population with no formal education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of population with no formal education in Iraq. Statizoid, drawing on Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-population-15-years-and-older-with-no-education/iraq/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of population with no formal education
Unit
%
Source
Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
111 places, 3,441 data points, 1870–2020
Last refreshed

The share of adults aged between 15 and 64 years old with no formal education.