Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female in India

India: Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female was 11.40 million number in 2018. ▼ Falling

Latest (2018)
11.40 million number
World rank
1st
of 86 countries
All-time high
41.28 million number
in 1991
All-time low
11.40 million number
in 2018
Years of data
6
1981–2018

Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female in India, 1981–2018

10.0M20.0M30.0M40.0M1981199920181981: 39.9M number1991: 41.3M number2001: 32.2M number2006: 27.6M number2011: 20.3M number2018: 11.4M number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (http://uis.unesco.org/). Measured in number.

Analysis

In 2018, youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female in India stood at 11.40 million number. That is the lowest value across all 6 years on record.

That represents a change of down 58.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female in India peaked at 41.28 million number in 1991 and was at its lowest, 11.40 million number, in 2018.

India ranks 1st of 86 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female in India, year by year

Annual values for Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female (number) in India, 1981 to 2018.
Year number Change
1981 39.89 million number
1991 41.28 million number +3.5%
2001 32.21 million number -22.0%
2006 27.61 million number -14.3%
2011 20.25 million number -26.6%
2018 11.40 million number -43.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 39.89 million number 39.89 million number 39.89 million number 1
1990s 41.28 million number 41.28 million number 41.28 million number 1
2000s 29.91 million number 27.61 million number 32.21 million number 2
2010s 15.83 million number 11.40 million number 20.25 million number 2

Countries ranked near India

  1. 2 Pakistan 6.51 million number compare
  2. 3 Nigeria 5.86 million number compare
  3. 4 Ethiopia 3.19 million number compare

See the full ranking of 125 places →

More education data for India

All data for India →

Frequently asked questions

What is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female in India?
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female in India was 11.40 million number in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (http://uis.unesco.org/).
What is the highest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female recorded in India?
The highest recorded value was 41.28 million number in 1991.
What is the lowest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female recorded in India?
The lowest recorded value was 11.40 million number in 2018.
How does India rank for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female?
India ranks 1st out of 86 countries with data for 2018.
Is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female rising or falling in India?
Over the last ten years it is down 58.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this India data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (http://uis.unesco.org/), published as part of Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female in India. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics (http://uis.unesco.org/). Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/youth-illiterate-population-15-24-years-female-number/india/

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About this data

Indicator
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (http://uis.unesco.org/)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
125 places, 2,250 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Total number of females between age 15 and age 24 who cannot both read and write with understanding a short simple statement on their everyday life.