Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCAP: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439)

ESCAP: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439): Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes was 38.64 million in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
38.64 million
Change on year
up 1.2%
Rank
38th
of 204 groups
All-time high
38.64 million
in 2024
All-time low
24.01 million
in 1988
Years of data
37
1988–2024

Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCAP: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439), 1988–2024

010.0M20.0M30.0M40.0M1988200620241988: 24.0M1989: 24.5M1990: 25.0M1991: 25.8M1992: 26.9M1993: 27.7M1994: 28.4M1995: 29.3M1996: 30.0M1997: 30.5M1998: 30.9M1999: 31.0M2000: 31.8M2001: 32.1M2002: 31.4M2003: 32.1M2004: 32.5M2005: 33.2M2006: 35.8M2007: 35.5M2008: 36.0M2009: 36.4M2010: 36.1M2011: 34.2M2012: 34.2M2013: 33.8M2014: 34.4M2015: 34.5M2016: 34.6M2017: 34.4M2018: 35.5M2019: 36.5M2020: 37.2M2021: 37.5M2022: 37.8M2023: 38.2M2024: 38.6M

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

The most recent figure for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCAP: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439) is 38.64 million, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 37 years on record.

The figure is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 12.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCAP: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439) peaked at 38.64 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 24.01 million, in 1988.

That places ESCAP: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439) 38th out of 204 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 37 years of available data.

Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCAP: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439), year by year

Annual values for Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes (number) in ESCAP: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439), 1988 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1988 24.01 million
1989 24.48 million +2.0%
1990 24.98 million +2.0%
1991 25.83 million +3.4%
1992 26.85 million +4.0%
1993 27.68 million +3.1%
1994 28.44 million +2.7%
1995 29.27 million +2.9%
1996 29.98 million +2.5%
1997 30.46 million +1.6%
1998 30.86 million +1.3%
1999 31.04 million +0.6%
2000 31.79 million +2.4%
2001 32.09 million +1.0%
2002 31.37 million -2.2%
2003 32.05 million +2.2%
2004 32.53 million +1.5%
2005 33.20 million +2.0%
2006 35.79 million +7.8%
2007 35.50 million -0.8%
2008 36.05 million +1.5%
2009 36.36 million +0.9%
2010 36.12 million -0.6%
2011 34.17 million -5.4%
2012 34.22 million +0.2%
2013 33.83 million -1.2%
2014 34.44 million +1.8%
2015 34.47 million +0.1%
2016 34.63 million +0.5%
2017 34.37 million -0.8%
2018 35.49 million +3.3%
2019 36.45 million +2.7%
2020 37.21 million +2.1%
2021 37.54 million +0.9%
2022 37.85 million +0.8%
2023 38.18 million +0.9%
2024 38.64 million +1.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 24.25 million 24.01 million 24.48 million 2
1990s 28.54 million 24.98 million 31.04 million 10
2000s 33.67 million 31.37 million 36.36 million 10
2010s 34.82 million 33.83 million 36.45 million 10
2020s 37.88 million 37.21 million 38.64 million 5

Countries ranked near ESCAP: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439)

  1. 35 Jordan 28,584 compare
  2. 36 Chile 27,123 compare
  3. 37 El Salvador 20,850 compare
  4. 38 Paraguay 16,238 compare
  5. 39 Spain 13,206 compare
  6. 40 Ecuador 12,083 compare
  7. 41 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 10,930 compare

See the full ranking of 262 places →

More education data for ESCAP: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439)

All data for ESCAP: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439) →

Frequently asked questions

What is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCAP: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439)?
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCAP: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439) was 38.64 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in ESCAP: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439)?
The highest recorded value was 38.64 million in 2024.
What is the lowest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in ESCAP: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439)?
The lowest recorded value was 24.01 million in 1988.
How does ESCAP: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439) rank for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes?
ESCAP: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439) ranks 38th out of 204 groups with data for 2024.
Is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes rising or falling in ESCAP: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439)?
Over the last ten years it is up 12.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this ESCAP: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439) 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 ESCAP: Wb Low Income Economies (wb_low) (unsdcode:98439). Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 12 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/youth-illiterate-population-15-24-years-both-sexes-number-2/escap-wb-low-income-economies-wb-low-unsdcode-98439/

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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