Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)
Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income): Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes was 1.45 million number in 2019. ▼ Falling
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income), 1974–2019
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.
Analysis
Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) recorded 1.45 million number for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in 2019. That is the lowest value across all 46 years on record.
The figure is down 3.8% on the previous year and down 45.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) peaked at 8.17 million number in 1985 and was at its lowest, 1.45 million number, in 2019.
Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) ranks 31st of 39 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 46 years of available data.
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | number | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 7.41 million number | — |
| 1975 | 7.64 million number | +3.2% |
| 1976 | 7.70 million number | +0.7% |
| 1977 | 7.73 million number | +0.5% |
| 1978 | 7.75 million number | +0.2% |
| 1979 | 7.82 million number | +1.0% |
| 1980 | 7.97 million number | +1.9% |
| 1981 | 8.02 million number | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 8.08 million number | +0.7% |
| 1983 | 8.13 million number | +0.6% |
| 1984 | 8.16 million number | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 8.17 million number | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 8.17 million number | -0.0% |
| 1987 | 8.14 million number | -0.4% |
| 1988 | 8.00 million number | -1.7% |
| 1989 | 7.86 million number | -1.7% |
| 1990 | 7.75 million number | -1.5% |
| 1991 | 7.32 million number | -5.5% |
| 1992 | 6.86 million number | -6.2% |
| 1993 | 6.40 million number | -6.6% |
| 1994 | 5.94 million number | -7.2% |
| 1995 | 5.48 million number | -7.9% |
| 1996 | 5.27 million number | -3.8% |
| 1997 | 5.26 million number | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 5.06 million number | -3.8% |
| 1999 | 4.95 million number | -2.3% |
| 2000 | 4.81 million number | -2.7% |
| 2001 | 4.75 million number | -1.3% |
| 2002 | 4.42 million number | -6.9% |
| 2003 | 3.70 million number | -16.3% |
| 2004 | 3.60 million number | -2.6% |
| 2005 | 3.44 million number | -4.6% |
| 2006 | 3.34 million number | -3.0% |
| 2007 | 3.08 million number | -7.5% |
| 2008 | 2.95 million number | -4.2% |
| 2009 | 2.63 million number | -10.8% |
| 2010 | 2.79 million number | +6.1% |
| 2011 | 2.34 million number | -16.2% |
| 2012 | 2.18 million number | -6.7% |
| 2013 | 2.20 million number | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 1.87 million number | -15.1% |
| 2015 | 1.77 million number | -5.5% |
| 2016 | 1.64 million number | -7.2% |
| 2017 | 1.59 million number | -3.3% |
| 2018 | 1.51 million number | -5.2% |
| 2019 | 1.45 million number | -3.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 7.67 million number | 7.41 million number | 7.82 million number | 6 |
| 1980s | 8.07 million number | 7.86 million number | 8.17 million number | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.03 million number | 4.95 million number | 7.75 million number | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.67 million number | 2.63 million number | 4.81 million number | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.93 million number | 1.45 million number | 2.79 million number | 10 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)
More education data for Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)
- Population ages 15-64 67.7% (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0886 units per person (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.215 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 55.17 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 2.79 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 57.82 million (2024)
- Population ages 0-14 22.4% (2025)
All data for Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
- Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) was 1.45 million number in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 8.17 million number in 1985.
- What is the lowest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.45 million number in 2019.
- How does Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) rank for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes?
- Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) ranks 31st out of 39 groups with data for 2019.
- Is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 45.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Latin America & Caribbean (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.