Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in WB: East Asia & Pacific
WB: East Asia & Pacific: Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes was 2.70 million in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in WB: East Asia & Pacific, 1976–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
WB: East Asia & Pacific recorded 2.70 million for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 49 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.4% on the previous year and down 29.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in WB: East Asia & Pacific peaked at 43.74 million in 1976 and was at its lowest, 2.70 million, in 2024.
WB: East Asia & Pacific ranks 112th of 204 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in WB: East Asia & Pacific, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 43.74 million | — |
| 1977 | 43.07 million | -1.5% |
| 1978 | 40.65 million | -5.6% |
| 1979 | 38.96 million | -4.2% |
| 1980 | 36.71 million | -5.8% |
| 1981 | 34.73 million | -5.4% |
| 1982 | 33.28 million | -4.2% |
| 1983 | 31.46 million | -5.5% |
| 1984 | 30.46 million | -3.2% |
| 1985 | 30.01 million | -1.5% |
| 1986 | 29.82 million | -0.6% |
| 1987 | 27.01 million | -9.4% |
| 1988 | 22.83 million | -15.4% |
| 1989 | 22.10 million | -3.2% |
| 1990 | 21.48 million | -2.8% |
| 1991 | 20.66 million | -3.8% |
| 1992 | 19.83 million | -4.0% |
| 1993 | 19.14 million | -3.5% |
| 1994 | 17.85 million | -6.8% |
| 1995 | 16.63 million | -6.8% |
| 1996 | 15.63 million | -6.0% |
| 1997 | 8.51 million | -45.5% |
| 1998 | 8.29 million | -2.7% |
| 1999 | 7.98 million | -3.7% |
| 2000 | 7.92 million | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 7.77 million | -1.9% |
| 2002 | 7.59 million | -2.4% |
| 2003 | 7.23 million | -4.7% |
| 2004 | 6.99 million | -3.4% |
| 2005 | 6.77 million | -3.1% |
| 2006 | 7.53 million | +11.2% |
| 2007 | 6.15 million | -18.2% |
| 2008 | 4.79 million | -22.2% |
| 2009 | 4.92 million | +2.8% |
| 2010 | 5.63 million | +14.5% |
| 2011 | 5.31 million | -5.8% |
| 2012 | 5.09 million | -4.1% |
| 2013 | 4.73 million | -7.0% |
| 2014 | 3.85 million | -18.6% |
| 2015 | 3.56 million | -7.4% |
| 2016 | 3.37 million | -5.5% |
| 2017 | 3.29 million | -2.2% |
| 2018 | 3.50 million | +6.3% |
| 2019 | 3.37 million | -3.7% |
| 2020 | 3.07 million | -8.8% |
| 2021 | 2.96 million | -3.8% |
| 2022 | 2.84 million | -4.0% |
| 2023 | 2.77 million | -2.5% |
| 2024 | 2.70 million | -2.4% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in WB: East Asia & Pacific changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | -45.5% | 15.63 million | 8.51 million |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 41.60 million | 38.96 million | 43.74 million | 4 |
| 1980s | 29.84 million | 22.10 million | 36.71 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 15.60 million | 7.98 million | 21.48 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.77 million | 4.79 million | 7.92 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.17 million | 3.29 million | 5.63 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.87 million | 2.70 million | 3.07 million | 5 |
More education data for WB: East Asia & Pacific
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 1.4 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 82.79 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.02 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 91.26 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.55 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 61.72 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 2.09 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 45.77 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 8.16 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 93.00 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in WB: East Asia & Pacific?
- Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in WB: East Asia & Pacific was 2.70 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in WB: East Asia & Pacific?
- The highest recorded value was 43.74 million in 1976.
- What is the lowest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in WB: East Asia & Pacific?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.70 million in 2024.
- How does WB: East Asia & Pacific rank for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes?
- WB: East Asia & Pacific ranks 112th out of 204 groups with data for 2024.
- Is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes rising or falling in WB: East Asia & Pacific?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this WB: East Asia & Pacific 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 49 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release