Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa
UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa: Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female was 2.90 million in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
2.90 million
Change on year
down 0.6%
Rank
105th
of 204 groups
All-time high
8.95 million
in 1983
All-time low
2.90 million
in 2024
Years of data
50
1975–2024
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa, 1975–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa recorded 2.90 million for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 50 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.6% on the previous year and down 15.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa peaked at 8.95 million in 1983 and was at its lowest, 2.90 million, in 2024.
UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa ranks 105th of 204 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 50 years of available data.
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 8.49 million | — |
| 1976 | 8.60 million | +1.3% |
| 1977 | 8.68 million | +0.9% |
| 1978 | 8.75 million | +0.8% |
| 1979 | 8.80 million | +0.6% |
| 1980 | 8.83 million | +0.3% |
| 1981 | 8.85 million | +0.3% |
| 1982 | 8.91 million | +0.7% |
| 1983 | 8.95 million | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 8.85 million | -1.0% |
| 1985 | 8.75 million | -1.2% |
| 1986 | 8.63 million | -1.3% |
| 1987 | 8.52 million | -1.3% |
| 1988 | 8.36 million | -1.9% |
| 1989 | 8.19 million | -2.1% |
| 1990 | 7.68 million | -6.2% |
| 1991 | 7.45 million | -3.0% |
| 1992 | 7.26 million | -2.4% |
| 1993 | 7.57 million | +4.1% |
| 1994 | 7.37 million | -2.5% |
| 1995 | 7.07 million | -4.2% |
| 1996 | 6.90 million | -2.4% |
| 1997 | 6.74 million | -2.3% |
| 1998 | 6.58 million | -2.4% |
| 1999 | 6.44 million | -2.2% |
| 2000 | 6.30 million | -2.1% |
| 2001 | 6.12 million | -2.8% |
| 2002 | 5.94 million | -2.9% |
| 2003 | 5.88 million | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 5.67 million | -3.5% |
| 2005 | 5.56 million | -2.0% |
| 2006 | 5.34 million | -3.9% |
| 2007 | 5.09 million | -4.8% |
| 2008 | 4.67 million | -8.2% |
| 2009 | 4.76 million | +1.8% |
| 2010 | 4.55 million | -4.4% |
| 2011 | 4.59 million | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 4.04 million | -11.9% |
| 2013 | 3.54 million | -12.5% |
| 2014 | 3.44 million | -2.6% |
| 2015 | 3.24 million | -5.8% |
| 2016 | 3.72 million | +14.6% |
| 2017 | 3.42 million | -8.0% |
| 2018 | 3.29 million | -3.7% |
| 2019 | 3.19 million | -3.3% |
| 2020 | 3.09 million | -2.9% |
| 2021 | 3.01 million | -2.8% |
| 2022 | 2.95 million | -1.9% |
| 2023 | 2.91 million | -1.2% |
| 2024 | 2.90 million | -0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 8.66 million | 8.49 million | 8.80 million | 5 |
| 1980s | 8.68 million | 8.19 million | 8.95 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 7.11 million | 6.44 million | 7.68 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.53 million | 4.67 million | 6.30 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.70 million | 3.19 million | 4.59 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.97 million | 2.90 million | 3.09 million | 5 |
More education data for UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 6.15 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 21.65 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 2.17 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 23.21 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.71 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 6.49 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual -0.5257 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 17.53 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 8.61 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 6.11 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa?
- Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa was 2.90 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female recorded in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 8.95 million in 1983.
- What is the lowest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female recorded in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.90 million in 2024.
- How does UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa rank for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female?
- UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa ranks 105th out of 204 groups with data for 2024.
- Is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female rising or falling in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release