Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ECA: Least Developed Countries (unsdcode:98118)
ECA: Least Developed Countries (unsdcode:98118): Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes was 37.52 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
37.52 million
Change on year
up 1.2%
Rank
40th
of 204 groups
All-time high
37.52 million
in 2024
All-time low
23.39 million
in 1987
Years of data
38
1987–2024
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ECA: Least Developed Countries (unsdcode:98118), 1987–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
ECA: Least Developed Countries (unsdcode:98118) recorded 37.52 million for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in 2024. That is the highest value across all 38 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 10.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ECA: Least Developed Countries (unsdcode:98118) peaked at 37.52 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 23.39 million, in 1987.
ECA: Least Developed Countries (unsdcode:98118) ranks 40th of 204 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 38 years of available data.
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ECA: Least Developed Countries (unsdcode:98118), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 23.39 million | — |
| 1988 | 24.07 million | +2.9% |
| 1989 | 24.53 million | +1.9% |
| 1990 | 25.03 million | +2.0% |
| 1991 | 25.94 million | +3.6% |
| 1992 | 26.96 million | +3.9% |
| 1993 | 27.63 million | +2.5% |
| 1994 | 28.27 million | +2.3% |
| 1995 | 29.02 million | +2.7% |
| 1996 | 29.68 million | +2.3% |
| 1997 | 30.07 million | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 31.12 million | +3.5% |
| 1999 | 31.41 million | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 32.21 million | +2.5% |
| 2001 | 32.69 million | +1.5% |
| 2002 | 32.04 million | -2.0% |
| 2003 | 32.67 million | +2.0% |
| 2004 | 33.17 million | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 34.08 million | +2.7% |
| 2006 | 36.57 million | +7.3% |
| 2007 | 36.31 million | -0.7% |
| 2008 | 37.30 million | +2.7% |
| 2009 | 37.33 million | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 37.05 million | -0.8% |
| 2011 | 34.90 million | -5.8% |
| 2012 | 33.82 million | -3.1% |
| 2013 | 33.47 million | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 34.11 million | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 34.30 million | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 34.60 million | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 34.35 million | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 34.34 million | -0.0% |
| 2019 | 35.27 million | +2.7% |
| 2020 | 36.00 million | +2.1% |
| 2021 | 36.32 million | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 36.70 million | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 37.08 million | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 37.52 million | +1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 23.99 million | 23.39 million | 24.53 million | 3 |
| 1990s | 28.51 million | 25.03 million | 31.41 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 34.44 million | 32.04 million | 37.33 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 34.62 million | 33.47 million | 37.05 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 36.72 million | 36.00 million | 37.52 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near ECA: Least Developed Countries (unsdcode:98118)
- 37 El Salvador 20,850 compare
- 38 Paraguay 16,238 compare
- 39 Spain 13,206 compare
- 40 Ecuador 12,083 compare
- 41 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 10,930 compare
- 42 Panama 7,735 compare
- 43 Palestine, State of 6,437 compare
More education data for ECA: Least Developed Countries (unsdcode:98118)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 4.38 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 3.68 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 23.44 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 3.05 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 16.21 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 2.15 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 5.08 million (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 5.51 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 3.02 million (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 3.63 % change on previous year (2021)
All data for ECA: Least Developed Countries (unsdcode:98118) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ECA: Least Developed Countries (unsdcode:98118)?
- Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ECA: Least Developed Countries (unsdcode:98118) was 37.52 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in ECA: Least Developed Countries (unsdcode:98118)?
- The highest recorded value was 37.52 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in ECA: Least Developed Countries (unsdcode:98118)?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.39 million in 1987.
- How does ECA: Least Developed Countries (unsdcode:98118) rank for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes?
- ECA: Least Developed Countries (unsdcode:98118) ranks 40th out of 204 groups with data for 2024.
- Is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes rising or falling in ECA: Least Developed Countries (unsdcode:98118)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ECA: Least Developed Countries (unsdcode:98118) 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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About this data
February 2026 Data Release