Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCWA: Mashreq Subregion (unsdcode:98503)
ESCWA: Mashreq Subregion (unsdcode:98503): Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes was 2.05 million in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
2.05 million
Change on year
down 3.0%
Rank
124th
of 204 groups
All-time high
4.76 million
in 1983
All-time low
2.05 million
in 2024
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCWA: Mashreq Subregion (unsdcode:98503), 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
ESCWA: Mashreq Subregion (unsdcode:98503) recorded 2.05 million for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
The figure is down 3.0% on the previous year and down 9.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCWA: Mashreq Subregion (unsdcode:98503) peaked at 4.76 million in 1983 and was at its lowest, 2.05 million, in 2024.
That places ESCWA: Mashreq Subregion (unsdcode:98503) 124th 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 55 years of available data.
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCWA: Mashreq Subregion (unsdcode:98503), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 4.31 million | — |
| 1971 | 4.47 million | +3.6% |
| 1972 | 4.54 million | +1.6% |
| 1973 | 4.58 million | +1.0% |
| 1974 | 4.63 million | +0.9% |
| 1975 | 4.66 million | +0.7% |
| 1976 | 4.68 million | +0.5% |
| 1977 | 4.68 million | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 4.68 million | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 4.67 million | -0.1% |
| 1980 | 4.66 million | -0.2% |
| 1981 | 4.65 million | -0.2% |
| 1982 | 4.64 million | -0.3% |
| 1983 | 4.76 million | +2.5% |
| 1984 | 4.71 million | -1.1% |
| 1985 | 4.64 million | -1.5% |
| 1986 | 4.55 million | -2.0% |
| 1987 | 4.47 million | -1.6% |
| 1988 | 4.40 million | -1.7% |
| 1989 | 4.32 million | -1.7% |
| 1990 | 4.25 million | -1.7% |
| 1991 | 4.19 million | -1.3% |
| 1992 | 4.11 million | -2.0% |
| 1993 | 4.65 million | +13.2% |
| 1994 | 4.61 million | -0.8% |
| 1995 | 4.55 million | -1.2% |
| 1996 | 4.49 million | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 4.45 million | -1.0% |
| 1998 | 4.41 million | -0.9% |
| 1999 | 4.39 million | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 4.37 million | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 4.33 million | -0.8% |
| 2002 | 4.27 million | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 3.87 million | -9.4% |
| 2004 | 3.83 million | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 3.80 million | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 3.82 million | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 3.67 million | -4.1% |
| 2008 | 3.51 million | -4.3% |
| 2009 | 3.69 million | +5.2% |
| 2010 | 3.53 million | -4.4% |
| 2011 | 3.35 million | -5.0% |
| 2012 | 3.22 million | -4.1% |
| 2013 | 2.57 million | -20.0% |
| 2014 | 2.26 million | -12.0% |
| 2015 | 2.07 million | -8.4% |
| 2016 | 3.11 million | +50.0% |
| 2017 | 2.75 million | -11.5% |
| 2018 | 2.62 million | -4.9% |
| 2019 | 2.50 million | -4.5% |
| 2020 | 2.39 million | -4.4% |
| 2021 | 2.28 million | -4.4% |
| 2022 | 2.19 million | -4.2% |
| 2023 | 2.11 million | -3.5% |
| 2024 | 2.05 million | -3.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.59 million | 4.31 million | 4.68 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.58 million | 4.32 million | 4.76 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.41 million | 4.11 million | 4.65 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.92 million | 3.51 million | 4.37 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.80 million | 2.07 million | 3.53 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.20 million | 2.05 million | 2.39 million | 5 |
More education data for ESCWA: Mashreq Subregion (unsdcode:98503)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 6.84 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.1352 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate -2.2 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 8.52 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.5456 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 9.32 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate -0.2365 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 2.23 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 0.2143 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 5.4 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCWA: Mashreq Subregion (unsdcode:98503)?
- Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in ESCWA: Mashreq Subregion (unsdcode:98503) was 2.05 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in ESCWA: Mashreq Subregion (unsdcode:98503)?
- The highest recorded value was 4.76 million in 1983.
- What is the lowest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in ESCWA: Mashreq Subregion (unsdcode:98503)?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.05 million in 2024.
- How does ESCWA: Mashreq Subregion (unsdcode:98503) rank for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes?
- ESCWA: Mashreq Subregion (unsdcode:98503) ranks 124th out of 204 groups with data for 2024.
- Is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes rising or falling in ESCWA: Mashreq Subregion (unsdcode:98503)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this ESCWA: Mashreq Subregion (unsdcode:98503) 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