Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in WB: Low & Middle Income (july 2025)
WB: Low & Middle Income (july 2025): Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes was 85.02 million in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
85.02 million
Change on year
down 0.8%
Rank
9th
of 204 groups
All-time high
192.39 million
in 1985
All-time low
85.02 million
in 2024
Years of data
40
1985–2024
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in WB: Low & Middle Income (july 2025), 1985–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
WB: Low & Middle Income (july 2025) recorded 85.02 million for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 40 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 19.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in WB: Low & Middle Income (july 2025) peaked at 192.39 million in 1985 and was at its lowest, 85.02 million, in 2024.
WB: Low & Middle Income (july 2025) ranks 9th of 204 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 40 years of available data.
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in WB: Low & Middle Income (july 2025), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 192.39 million | — |
| 1986 | 191.59 million | -0.4% |
| 1987 | 187.98 million | -1.9% |
| 1988 | 183.63 million | -2.3% |
| 1989 | 180.48 million | -1.7% |
| 1990 | 177.08 million | -1.9% |
| 1991 | 173.92 million | -1.8% |
| 1992 | 170.38 million | -2.0% |
| 1993 | 167.35 million | -1.8% |
| 1994 | 163.84 million | -2.1% |
| 1995 | 160.94 million | -1.8% |
| 1996 | 158.13 million | -1.7% |
| 1997 | 149.48 million | -5.5% |
| 1998 | 141.78 million | -5.1% |
| 1999 | 139.10 million | -1.9% |
| 2000 | 139.93 million | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 139.44 million | -0.4% |
| 2002 | 136.71 million | -2.0% |
| 2003 | 134.06 million | -1.9% |
| 2004 | 132.42 million | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 132.14 million | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 136.83 million | +3.6% |
| 2007 | 134.19 million | -1.9% |
| 2008 | 129.87 million | -3.2% |
| 2009 | 127.78 million | -1.6% |
| 2010 | 123.35 million | -3.5% |
| 2011 | 119.20 million | -3.4% |
| 2012 | 115.09 million | -3.5% |
| 2013 | 109.03 million | -5.3% |
| 2014 | 105.99 million | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 102.20 million | -3.6% |
| 2016 | 99.59 million | -2.6% |
| 2017 | 97.74 million | -1.9% |
| 2018 | 96.93 million | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 88.59 million | -8.6% |
| 2020 | 87.83 million | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 86.92 million | -1.0% |
| 2022 | 86.52 million | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 85.70 million | -0.9% |
| 2024 | 85.02 million | -0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 187.21 million | 180.48 million | 192.39 million | 5 |
| 1990s | 160.20 million | 139.10 million | 177.08 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 134.34 million | 127.78 million | 139.93 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 105.77 million | 88.59 million | 123.35 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 86.40 million | 85.02 million | 87.83 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near WB: Low & Middle Income (july 2025)
More education data for WB: Low & Middle Income (july 2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 701.53 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.6578 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.37 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 363.75 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.84 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 337.78 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 1.6 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 103.52 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 18.57 million (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 24.25 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in WB: Low & Middle Income (july 2025)?
- Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in WB: Low & Middle Income (july 2025) was 85.02 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in WB: Low & Middle Income (july 2025)?
- The highest recorded value was 192.39 million in 1985.
- What is the lowest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in WB: Low & Middle Income (july 2025)?
- The lowest recorded value was 85.02 million in 2024.
- How does WB: Low & Middle Income (july 2025) rank for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes?
- WB: Low & Middle Income (july 2025) ranks 9th out of 204 groups with data for 2024.
- Is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes rising or falling in WB: Low & Middle Income (july 2025)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this WB: Low & Middle Income (july 2025) 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