Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Lower middle income

Lower middle income: Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes was 55.92 million number in 2019. ▼ Falling

Latest (2019)
55.92 million number
Change on year
down 3.5%
Rank
6th
of 39 groups
All-time high
115.63 million number
in 1988
All-time low
55.92 million number
in 2019
Years of data
45
1975–2019

Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Lower middle income, 1975–2019

025.0M50.0M75.0M100.0M125.0M1975199720191975: 98.1M number1976: 100.8M number1977: 102.2M number1978: 103.8M number1979: 105.4M number1980: 107.2M number1981: 109.0M number1982: 110.3M number1983: 111.8M number1984: 112.9M number1985: 113.9M number1986: 114.7M number1987: 114.8M number1988: 115.6M number1989: 114.9M number1990: 114.3M number1991: 113.7M number1992: 111.8M number1993: 110.8M number1994: 109.6M number1995: 108.8M number1996: 107.7M number1997: 107.0M number1998: 100.5M number1999: 98.7M number2000: 100.0M number2001: 98.8M number2002: 97.1M number2003: 94.7M number2004: 93.0M number2005: 92.2M number2006: 85.8M number2007: 91.4M number2008: 83.5M number2009: 81.6M number2010: 80.7M number2011: 79.5M number2012: 74.9M number2013: 70.8M number2014: 67.6M number2015: 64.3M number2016: 61.9M number2017: 60.0M number2018: 57.9M number2019: 55.9M number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

The most recent figure for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Lower middle income is 55.92 million number, measured in 2019. That is the lowest value across all 45 years on record.

That represents a change of down 3.5% on the previous year and down 31.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Lower middle income peaked at 115.63 million number in 1988 and was at its lowest, 55.92 million number, in 2019.

Lower middle income ranks 6th of 39 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 45 years of available data.

Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Lower middle income, year by year

Annual values for Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes (number) in Lower middle income, 1975 to 2019.
Year number Change
1975 98.12 million number
1976 100.77 million number +2.7%
1977 102.25 million number +1.5%
1978 103.77 million number +1.5%
1979 105.40 million number +1.6%
1980 107.19 million number +1.7%
1981 109.01 million number +1.7%
1982 110.33 million number +1.2%
1983 111.76 million number +1.3%
1984 112.88 million number +1.0%
1985 113.89 million number +0.9%
1986 114.70 million number +0.7%
1987 114.81 million number +0.1%
1988 115.63 million number +0.7%
1989 114.89 million number -0.6%
1990 114.27 million number -0.5%
1991 113.72 million number -0.5%
1992 111.80 million number -1.7%
1993 110.84 million number -0.9%
1994 109.58 million number -1.1%
1995 108.80 million number -0.7%
1996 107.65 million number -1.1%
1997 106.96 million number -0.6%
1998 100.45 million number -6.1%
1999 98.66 million number -1.8%
2000 99.98 million number +1.3%
2001 98.84 million number -1.1%
2002 97.13 million number -1.7%
2003 94.75 million number -2.5%
2004 92.95 million number -1.9%
2005 92.21 million number -0.8%
2006 85.84 million number -6.9%
2007 91.40 million number +6.5%
2008 83.52 million number -8.6%
2009 81.62 million number -2.3%
2010 80.71 million number -1.1%
2011 79.48 million number -1.5%
2012 74.93 million number -5.7%
2013 70.79 million number -5.5%
2014 67.56 million number -4.6%
2015 64.33 million number -4.8%
2016 61.91 million number -3.8%
2017 59.99 million number -3.1%
2018 57.94 million number -3.4%
2019 55.92 million number -3.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 102.06 million number 98.12 million number 105.40 million number 5
1980s 112.51 million number 107.19 million number 115.63 million number 10
1990s 108.27 million number 98.66 million number 114.27 million number 10
2000s 91.82 million number 81.62 million number 99.98 million number 10
2010s 67.35 million number 55.92 million number 80.71 million number 10

Countries ranked near Lower middle income

  1. 3 Nigeria 9.36 million number compare
  2. 4 Ethiopia 6.27 million number compare
  3. 5 Côte d'Ivoire 2.15 million number compare
  4. 6 Chad 2.02 million number compare
  5. 7 Egypt 1.98 million number compare
  6. 8 Mali 1.83 million number compare
  7. 9 Mozambique 1.66 million number compare

See the full ranking of 125 places →

More education data for Lower middle income

All data for Lower middle income →

Frequently asked questions

What is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Lower middle income?
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Lower middle income was 55.92 million number in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in Lower middle income?
The highest recorded value was 115.63 million number in 1988.
What is the lowest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in Lower middle income?
The lowest recorded value was 55.92 million number in 2019.
How does Lower middle income rank for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes?
Lower middle income ranks 6th out of 39 groups with data for 2019.
Is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes rising or falling in Lower middle income?
Over the last ten years it is down 31.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Lower middle 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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Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Lower middle income. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 07 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/youth-illiterate-population-15-24-years-both-sexes-number/lower-middle-income/

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About this data

Indicator
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
125 places, 2,250 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

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.