Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in MDG: Western Asia

MDG: Western Asia: Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes was 2.51 million in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
2.51 million
Change on year
up 2.0%
Rank
119th
of 204 groups
All-time high
3.65 million
in 1996
All-time low
2.28 million
in 2017
Years of data
29
1996–2024

Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in MDG: Western Asia, 1996–2024

01.0M2.0M3.0M4.0M1996201020241996: 3.7M1997: 3.6M1998: 3.4M1999: 3.4M2000: 3.3M2001: 3.2M2002: 3.2M2003: 3.3M2004: 3.3M2005: 3.3M2006: 3.3M2007: 3.2M2008: 3.2M2009: 3.1M2010: 3.1M2011: 3.0M2012: 3.0M2013: 2.8M2014: 2.6M2015: 2.5M2016: 2.5M2017: 2.3M2018: 2.3M2019: 2.3M2020: 2.4M2021: 2.4M2022: 2.4M2023: 2.5M2024: 2.5M

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

The most recent figure for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in MDG: Western Asia is 2.51 million, measured in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.0% on the previous year and down 4.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in MDG: Western Asia peaked at 3.65 million in 1996 and was at its lowest, 2.28 million, in 2017.

MDG: Western Asia ranks 119th of 204 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 29 years of available data.

Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in MDG: Western Asia, year by year

Annual values for Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes (number) in MDG: Western Asia, 1996 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1996 3.65 million
1997 3.60 million -1.5%
1998 3.43 million -4.6%
1999 3.39 million -1.2%
2000 3.27 million -3.7%
2001 3.23 million -1.2%
2002 3.19 million -1.3%
2003 3.29 million +3.1%
2004 3.26 million -0.7%
2005 3.26 million -0.2%
2006 3.31 million +1.5%
2007 3.18 million -3.9%
2008 3.19 million +0.4%
2009 3.09 million -3.1%
2010 3.09 million -0.0%
2011 2.99 million -3.4%
2012 2.96 million -0.9%
2013 2.80 million -5.5%
2014 2.61 million -6.7%
2015 2.53 million -3.3%
2016 2.47 million -2.2%
2017 2.28 million -7.5%
2018 2.30 million +0.8%
2019 2.32 million +0.9%
2020 2.35 million +1.3%
2021 2.36 million +0.4%
2022 2.40 million +1.8%
2023 2.46 million +2.2%
2024 2.51 million +2.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 3.52 million 3.39 million 3.65 million 4
2000s 3.23 million 3.09 million 3.31 million 10
2010s 2.63 million 2.28 million 3.09 million 10
2020s 2.42 million 2.35 million 2.51 million 5

More education data for MDG: Western Asia

All data for MDG: Western Asia →

Frequently asked questions

What is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in MDG: Western Asia?
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in MDG: Western Asia was 2.51 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in MDG: Western Asia?
The highest recorded value was 3.65 million in 1996.
What is the lowest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in MDG: Western Asia?
The lowest recorded value was 2.28 million in 2017.
How does MDG: Western Asia rank for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes?
MDG: Western Asia ranks 119th out of 204 groups with data for 2024.
Is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes rising or falling in MDG: Western Asia?
Over the last ten years it is down 4.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this MDG: Western Asia 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 MDG: Western Asia. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/youth-illiterate-population-15-24-years-both-sexes-number-2/mdg-western-asia/

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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