Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405)
ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405): Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes was 55.69 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
55.69 million
Change on year
up 1.5%
Rank
14th
of 204 groups
All-time high
57.19 million
in 2009
All-time low
37.53 million
in 1982
Years of data
43
1982–2024
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405), 1982–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405) stood at 55.69 million.
That represents a change of up 1.5% on the previous year and up 8.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405) peaked at 57.19 million in 2009 and was at its lowest, 37.53 million, in 1982.
That places ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405) 14th out of 204 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 43 years of available data.
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 37.53 million | — |
| 1983 | 38.39 million | +2.3% |
| 1984 | 38.88 million | +1.3% |
| 1985 | 39.31 million | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 39.85 million | +1.4% |
| 1987 | 40.10 million | +0.6% |
| 1988 | 40.64 million | +1.3% |
| 1989 | 40.96 million | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 41.28 million | +0.8% |
| 1991 | 41.73 million | +1.1% |
| 1992 | 42.54 million | +1.9% |
| 1993 | 43.66 million | +2.6% |
| 1994 | 44.14 million | +1.1% |
| 1995 | 45.29 million | +2.6% |
| 1996 | 45.82 million | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 46.09 million | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 47.14 million | +2.3% |
| 1999 | 47.32 million | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 50.69 million | +7.1% |
| 2001 | 50.99 million | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 50.32 million | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 50.72 million | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 50.94 million | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 52.73 million | +3.5% |
| 2006 | 55.24 million | +4.8% |
| 2007 | 55.99 million | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 56.45 million | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 57.19 million | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 56.58 million | -1.1% |
| 2011 | 54.07 million | -4.4% |
| 2012 | 52.01 million | -3.8% |
| 2013 | 50.93 million | -2.1% |
| 2014 | 51.37 million | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 51.25 million | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 52.48 million | +2.4% |
| 2017 | 52.43 million | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 50.76 million | -3.2% |
| 2019 | 51.50 million | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 52.45 million | +1.9% |
| 2021 | 53.28 million | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 54.06 million | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 54.89 million | +1.5% |
| 2024 | 55.69 million | +1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 39.46 million | 37.53 million | 40.96 million | 8 |
| 1990s | 44.50 million | 41.28 million | 47.32 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 53.13 million | 50.32 million | 57.19 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 52.34 million | 50.76 million | 56.58 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 54.08 million | 52.45 million | 55.69 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405)
More education data for ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 29.65 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 6.23 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 1.6 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 50.51 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 2.35 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 54.20 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.87 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 1.99 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 9.24 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 3.29 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405)?
- Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405) was 55.69 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405)?
- The highest recorded value was 57.19 million in 2009.
- What is the lowest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405)?
- The lowest recorded value was 37.53 million in 1982.
- How does ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405) rank for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes?
- ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405) ranks 14th out of 204 groups with data for 2024.
- Is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes rising or falling in ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405) 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