Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)
ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500): Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes was 7.09 million in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
7.09 million
Change on year
down 0.7%
Rank
97th
of 204 groups
All-time high
11.01 million
in 1984
All-time low
6.87 million
in 2015
Years of data
44
1981–2024
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500), 1981–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) is 7.09 million, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% on the previous year and up 0.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) peaked at 11.01 million in 1984 and was at its lowest, 6.87 million, in 2015.
That places ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) 97th out of 204 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 44 years of available data.
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 10.76 million | — |
| 1982 | 10.81 million | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 11.01 million | +1.9% |
| 1984 | 11.01 million | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 11.00 million | -0.1% |
| 1986 | 10.96 million | -0.4% |
| 1987 | 10.93 million | -0.3% |
| 1988 | 10.82 million | -1.0% |
| 1989 | 10.71 million | -1.0% |
| 1990 | 10.54 million | -1.5% |
| 1991 | 10.24 million | -2.9% |
| 1992 | 10.10 million | -1.3% |
| 1993 | 10.59 million | +4.9% |
| 1994 | 10.53 million | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 10.42 million | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 10.25 million | -1.6% |
| 1997 | 10.09 million | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 9.83 million | -2.6% |
| 1999 | 9.71 million | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 9.59 million | -1.2% |
| 2001 | 9.38 million | -2.2% |
| 2002 | 9.19 million | -2.0% |
| 2003 | 8.77 million | -4.6% |
| 2004 | 8.56 million | -2.4% |
| 2005 | 8.50 million | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 9.66 million | +13.6% |
| 2007 | 9.25 million | -4.2% |
| 2008 | 9.00 million | -2.7% |
| 2009 | 9.13 million | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 8.91 million | -2.4% |
| 2011 | 8.63 million | -3.1% |
| 2012 | 7.84 million | -9.2% |
| 2013 | 7.15 million | -8.8% |
| 2014 | 7.07 million | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 6.87 million | -2.8% |
| 2016 | 7.89 million | +14.8% |
| 2017 | 7.52 million | -4.7% |
| 2018 | 7.40 million | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 7.32 million | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 7.24 million | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 7.16 million | -1.2% |
| 2022 | 7.13 million | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 7.13 million | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 7.09 million | -0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 10.89 million | 10.71 million | 11.01 million | 9 |
| 1990s | 10.23 million | 9.71 million | 10.59 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.10 million | 8.50 million | 9.66 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.66 million | 6.87 million | 8.91 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.15 million | 7.09 million | 7.24 million | 5 |
More education data for ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 12.84 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.6427 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.304 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 16.59 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.01 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 17.81 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.3069 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 5.68 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual -0.6186 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 6.43 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)?
- Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) was 7.09 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)?
- The highest recorded value was 11.01 million in 1984.
- What is the lowest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.87 million in 2015.
- How does ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) rank for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes?
- ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) ranks 97th out of 204 groups with data for 2024.
- Is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes rising or falling in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) 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