Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)
Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries): Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes was 133,350 number in 2019. ▼ Falling
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries), 1983–2019
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.
Analysis
Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) recorded 133,350 number for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in 2019. That is the lowest value across all 37 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.4% on the previous year and down 70.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 1.41 million number in 1983 and was at its lowest, 133,350 number, in 2019.
That places Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) 35th out of 39 groups with data for 2019, putting it 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 (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | number | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 1.41 million number | — |
| 1984 | 1.05 million number | -25.2% |
| 1985 | 1.04 million number | -1.0% |
| 1986 | 1.03 million number | -1.7% |
| 1987 | 1.01 million number | -1.8% |
| 1988 | 987,917 number | -1.9% |
| 1989 | 999,185 number | +1.1% |
| 1990 | 978,555 number | -2.1% |
| 1991 | 968,704 number | -1.0% |
| 1992 | 955,335 number | -1.4% |
| 1993 | 942,008 number | -1.4% |
| 1994 | 929,073 number | -1.4% |
| 1995 | 915,773 number | -1.4% |
| 1996 | 899,477 number | -1.8% |
| 1997 | 886,915 number | -1.4% |
| 1998 | 854,151 number | -3.7% |
| 1999 | 878,321 number | +2.8% |
| 2000 | 801,857 number | -8.7% |
| 2001 | 788,803 number | -1.6% |
| 2002 | 780,816 number | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 793,100 number | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 815,170 number | +2.8% |
| 2005 | 735,002 number | -9.8% |
| 2006 | 727,276 number | -1.1% |
| 2007 | 695,377 number | -4.4% |
| 2008 | 669,098 number | -3.8% |
| 2009 | 453,111 number | -32.3% |
| 2010 | 392,287 number | -13.4% |
| 2011 | 325,422 number | -17.0% |
| 2012 | 279,963 number | -14.0% |
| 2013 | 244,628 number | -12.6% |
| 2014 | 218,398 number | -10.7% |
| 2015 | 196,237 number | -10.1% |
| 2016 | 160,751 number | -18.1% |
| 2017 | 154,798 number | -3.7% |
| 2018 | 142,468 number | -8.0% |
| 2019 | 133,350 number | -6.4% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) 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 | -32.3% | 669,098 number | 453,111 number |
| 1984 | -25.2% | 1.41 million number | 1.05 million number |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.08 million number | 987,917 number | 1.41 million number | 7 |
| 1990s | 920,831 number | 854,151 number | 978,555 number | 10 |
| 2000s | 725,961 number | 453,111 number | 815,170 number | 10 |
| 2010s | 224,830 number | 133,350 number | 392,287 number | 10 |
Countries ranked near Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)
More education data for Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0567 units per person (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 26.07 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.105 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 44.41 million (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 1.45 million (2024)
- Population ages 0-14 19.8% (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 65.4% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) was 133,350 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 (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 1.41 million number in 1983.
- What is the lowest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 133,350 number in 2019.
- How does Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes?
- Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 35th out of 39 groups with data for 2019.
- Is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes rising or falling in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 70.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) 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.