Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)
ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104): Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes was 4.35 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
4.35 million
Change on year
down 2.4%
Rank
108th
of 204 groups
All-time high
5.04 million
in 2008
All-time low
3.06 million
in 1974
Years of data
51
1974–2024
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104), 1974–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) recorded 4.35 million for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in 2024.
The figure is down 2.4% on the previous year and up 3.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) peaked at 5.04 million in 2008 and was at its lowest, 3.06 million, in 1974.
That places ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) 108th out of 204 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 3.06 million | — |
| 1975 | 3.18 million | +4.0% |
| 1976 | 3.23 million | +1.5% |
| 1977 | 3.26 million | +1.2% |
| 1978 | 3.29 million | +1.0% |
| 1979 | 3.35 million | +1.8% |
| 1980 | 3.44 million | +2.6% |
| 1981 | 3.45 million | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 3.47 million | +0.5% |
| 1983 | 3.49 million | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 3.50 million | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 3.51 million | +0.3% |
| 1986 | 3.55 million | +1.3% |
| 1987 | 3.60 million | +1.3% |
| 1988 | 3.65 million | +1.4% |
| 1989 | 3.68 million | +0.9% |
| 1990 | 3.69 million | +0.1% |
| 1991 | 3.85 million | +4.5% |
| 1992 | 4.23 million | +9.8% |
| 1993 | 4.29 million | +1.5% |
| 1994 | 4.36 million | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 4.34 million | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 4.46 million | +2.7% |
| 1997 | 4.57 million | +2.4% |
| 1998 | 4.64 million | +1.7% |
| 1999 | 4.23 million | -8.9% |
| 2000 | 4.27 million | +0.9% |
| 2001 | 4.31 million | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 3.97 million | -7.8% |
| 2003 | 4.09 million | +3.1% |
| 2004 | 3.96 million | -3.2% |
| 2005 | 4.10 million | +3.3% |
| 2006 | 4.47 million | +9.1% |
| 2007 | 4.93 million | +10.4% |
| 2008 | 5.04 million | +2.2% |
| 2009 | 4.99 million | -1.0% |
| 2010 | 4.22 million | -15.4% |
| 2011 | 4.13 million | -2.2% |
| 2012 | 4.04 million | -2.3% |
| 2013 | 3.92 million | -2.9% |
| 2014 | 4.20 million | +7.2% |
| 2015 | 4.31 million | +2.6% |
| 2016 | 4.26 million | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 4.80 million | +12.9% |
| 2018 | 4.34 million | -9.7% |
| 2019 | 3.97 million | -8.5% |
| 2020 | 4.12 million | +3.7% |
| 2021 | 4.33 million | +5.2% |
| 2022 | 4.41 million | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 4.46 million | +1.1% |
| 2024 | 4.35 million | -2.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3.23 million | 3.06 million | 3.35 million | 6 |
| 1980s | 3.53 million | 3.44 million | 3.68 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.27 million | 3.69 million | 4.64 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.41 million | 3.96 million | 5.04 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.22 million | 3.92 million | 4.80 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.33 million | 4.12 million | 4.46 million | 5 |
More education data for ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 7.02 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 0.2683 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 2.24 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 2.46 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 5.01 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.9 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 7.14 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 2.08 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.6859 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 14.16 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)?
- Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) was 4.35 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)?
- The highest recorded value was 5.04 million in 2008.
- What is the lowest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.06 million in 1974.
- How does ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) rank for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes?
- ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) ranks 108th out of 204 groups with data for 2024.
- Is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes rising or falling in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) 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