Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in SDG: Western Asia
SDG: Western Asia: Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes was 2.53 million in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
2.53 million
Change on year
up 2.0%
Rank
118th
of 204 groups
All-time high
3.67 million
in 1996
All-time low
2.31 million
in 2017
Years of data
29
1996–2024
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in SDG: Western Asia, 1996–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
SDG: Western Asia recorded 2.53 million for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in 2024.
The figure is up 2.0% on the previous year and down 3.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in SDG: Western Asia peaked at 3.67 million in 1996 and was at its lowest, 2.31 million, in 2017.
That places SDG: Western Asia 118th 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 29 years of available data.
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in SDG: Western Asia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 3.67 million | — |
| 1997 | 3.62 million | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 3.45 million | -4.5% |
| 1999 | 3.41 million | -1.2% |
| 2000 | 3.29 million | -3.6% |
| 2001 | 3.25 million | -1.2% |
| 2002 | 3.21 million | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 3.31 million | +3.1% |
| 2004 | 3.28 million | -0.7% |
| 2005 | 3.28 million | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 3.33 million | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 3.20 million | -3.9% |
| 2008 | 3.21 million | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 3.11 million | -3.1% |
| 2010 | 3.11 million | -0.0% |
| 2011 | 3.01 million | -3.3% |
| 2012 | 2.98 million | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 2.82 million | -5.4% |
| 2014 | 2.63 million | -6.6% |
| 2015 | 2.55 million | -3.2% |
| 2016 | 2.49 million | -2.2% |
| 2017 | 2.31 million | -7.5% |
| 2018 | 2.32 million | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 2.35 million | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 2.38 million | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 2.39 million | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 2.43 million | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 2.48 million | +2.2% |
| 2024 | 2.53 million | +2.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.54 million | 3.41 million | 3.67 million | 4 |
| 2000s | 3.25 million | 3.11 million | 3.33 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.66 million | 2.31 million | 3.11 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.44 million | 2.38 million | 2.53 million | 5 |
More education data for SDG: Western Asia
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 28.52 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate -0.9495 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 13.49 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.7535 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.72 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -0.901 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate -0.0164 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 28.49 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 13.43 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 15.03 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in SDG: Western Asia?
- Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in SDG: Western Asia was 2.53 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in SDG: Western Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 3.67 million in 1996.
- What is the lowest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in SDG: Western Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.31 million in 2017.
- How does SDG: Western Asia rank for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes?
- SDG: Western Asia ranks 118th out of 204 groups with data for 2024.
- Is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes rising or falling in SDG: Western Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this SDG: 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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CSV · JSON — 29 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release