Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ALECSO: Least Developed Countries

ALECSO: Least Developed Countries: Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes was 5.13 million in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
5.13 million
Change on year
up 1.5%
Rank
104th
of 204 groups
All-time high
5.13 million
in 2018
All-time low
3.14 million
in 2004
Years of data
27
1991–2018

Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ALECSO: Least Developed Countries, 1991–2018

02.0M4.0M6.0M1991200420181991: 3.2M1992: 3.2M1993: 3.2M1994: 3.2M1995: 3.3M1996: 3.3M1997: 3.2M1998: 3.2M1999: 3.2M2000: 3.2M2001: 3.2M2002: 3.2M2003: 3.2M2004: 3.1M2005: 3.2M2006: 4.4M2007: 4.4M2008: 4.5M2009: 4.6M2010: 4.7M2011: 4.7M2012: 4.7M2013: 4.8M2015: 4.9M2016: 5.0M2017: 5.1M2018: 5.1M

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

The most recent figure for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ALECSO: Least Developed Countries is 5.13 million, measured in 2018. That is the highest value across all 27 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.5% on the previous year and up 14.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ALECSO: Least Developed Countries peaked at 5.13 million in 2018 and was at its lowest, 3.14 million, in 2004.

ALECSO: Least Developed Countries ranks 104th of 204 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.

Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ALECSO: Least Developed Countries, year by year

Annual values for Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes (number) in ALECSO: Least Developed Countries, 1991 to 2018.
Year Value Change
1991 3.20 million
1992 3.15 million -1.4%
1993 3.16 million +0.1%
1994 3.23 million +2.3%
1995 3.27 million +1.1%
1996 3.27 million -0.0%
1997 3.24 million -0.8%
1998 3.23 million -0.2%
1999 3.23 million -0.1%
2000 3.22 million -0.1%
2001 3.22 million -0.2%
2002 3.21 million -0.4%
2003 3.18 million -0.7%
2004 3.14 million -1.3%
2005 3.17 million +1.0%
2006 4.40 million +38.7%
2007 4.44 million +0.8%
2008 4.50 million +1.4%
2009 4.60 million +2.2%
2010 4.67 million +1.6%
2011 4.71 million +0.8%
2012 4.72 million +0.2%
2013 4.76 million +1.0%
2015 4.90 million +2.8%
2016 4.97 million +1.5%
2017 5.05 million +1.6%
2018 5.13 million +1.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 3.22 million 3.15 million 3.27 million 9
2000s 3.71 million 3.14 million 4.60 million 10
2010s 4.86 million 4.67 million 5.13 million 8

More education data for ALECSO: Least Developed Countries

All data for ALECSO: Least Developed Countries →

Frequently asked questions

What is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ALECSO: Least Developed Countries?
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ALECSO: Least Developed Countries was 5.13 million in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in ALECSO: Least Developed Countries?
The highest recorded value was 5.13 million in 2018.
What is the lowest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in ALECSO: Least Developed Countries?
The lowest recorded value was 3.14 million in 2004.
How does ALECSO: Least Developed Countries rank for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes?
ALECSO: Least Developed Countries ranks 104th out of 204 groups with data for 2018.
Is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes rising or falling in ALECSO: Least Developed Countries?
Over the last ten years it is up 14.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this ALECSO: Least Developed Countries data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ALECSO: Least Developed Countries. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 06 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/youth-illiterate-population-15-24-years-both-sexes-number-2/alecso-least-developed-countries/

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About this data

Indicator
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
262 places, 8,082 data points, 1970–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release