Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)
Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income): Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes was 113,517 number in 2019. ▼ Falling
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income), 1983–2019
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.
Analysis
Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) recorded 113,517 number for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in 2019. That is the lowest value across all 37 years on record.
That represents a change of down 6.7% on the previous year and down 72.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) peaked at 1.37 million number in 1983 and was at its lowest, 113,517 number, in 2019.
Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) ranks 36th of 39 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 37 years of available data.
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | number | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 1.37 million number | — |
| 1984 | 1.01 million number | -25.9% |
| 1985 | 1.00 million number | -1.1% |
| 1986 | 984,935 number | -1.8% |
| 1987 | 965,285 number | -2.0% |
| 1988 | 944,219 number | -2.2% |
| 1989 | 954,080 number | +1.0% |
| 1990 | 932,009 number | -2.3% |
| 1991 | 921,022 number | -1.2% |
| 1992 | 906,560 number | -1.6% |
| 1993 | 892,010 number | -1.6% |
| 1994 | 878,005 number | -1.6% |
| 1995 | 863,648 number | -1.6% |
| 1996 | 846,693 number | -2.0% |
| 1997 | 833,855 number | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 800,949 number | -3.9% |
| 1999 | 789,077 number | -1.5% |
| 2000 | 710,311 number | -10.0% |
| 2001 | 696,625 number | -1.9% |
| 2002 | 688,554 number | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 699,493 number | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 720,646 number | +3.0% |
| 2005 | 640,269 number | -11.2% |
| 2006 | 634,070 number | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 603,958 number | -4.7% |
| 2008 | 579,810 number | -4.0% |
| 2009 | 407,249 number | -29.8% |
| 2010 | 350,330 number | -14.0% |
| 2011 | 287,127 number | -18.0% |
| 2012 | 244,910 number | -14.7% |
| 2013 | 212,926 number | -13.1% |
| 2014 | 189,797 number | -10.9% |
| 2015 | 170,262 number | -10.3% |
| 2016 | 137,009 number | -19.5% |
| 2017 | 132,689 number | -3.2% |
| 2018 | 121,656 number | -8.3% |
| 2019 | 113,517 number | -6.7% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | -29.8% | 579,810 number | 407,249 number |
| 1984 | -25.9% | 1.37 million number | 1.01 million number |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.03 million number | 944,219 number | 1.37 million number | 7 |
| 1990s | 866,383 number | 789,077 number | 932,009 number | 10 |
| 2000s | 638,098 number | 407,249 number | 720,646 number | 10 |
| 2010s | 196,022 number | 113,517 number | 350,330 number | 10 |
Countries ranked near Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)
More education data for Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 15.66 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.1746 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0626 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 28.09 million (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 906,553 (2024)
- Population ages 0-14 22.7% (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 65.7% (2025)
All data for Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
- Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) was 113,517 number in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 1.37 million number in 1983.
- What is the lowest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 113,517 number in 2019.
- How does Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) rank for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes?
- Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) ranks 36th out of 39 groups with data for 2019.
- Is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes rising or falling in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 72.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) 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
Total number of youth between age 15 and age 24 who cannot both read and write with understanding a short simple statement on their everyday life.