Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD): Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female was 4.20 million number in 2019. ▼ Falling

Latest (2019)
4.20 million number
Change on year
down 2.4%
Rank
23rd
of 39 groups
All-time high
8.20 million number
in 1983
All-time low
2.94 million number
in 2017
Years of data
48
1972–2019

Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), 1972–2019

02.0M4.0M6.0M8.0M197219952019

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) is 4.20 million number, measured in 2019.

The figure is down 2.4% on the previous year and down 22.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) peaked at 8.20 million number in 1983 and was at its lowest, 2.94 million number, in 2017.

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) ranks 23rd of 39 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 48 years of available data.

Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), year by year

Annual values for Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female (number) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), 1972 to 2019.
Year number Change
1972 7.22 million number
1973 7.39 million number +2.4%
1974 7.56 million number +2.2%
1975 7.71 million number +2.0%
1976 7.83 million number +1.5%
1977 7.93 million number +1.3%
1978 8.00 million number +0.9%
1979 8.07 million number +0.8%
1980 8.12 million number +0.6%
1981 8.14 million number +0.3%
1982 8.16 million number +0.3%
1983 8.20 million number +0.5%
1984 8.11 million number -1.1%
1985 8.00 million number -1.3%
1986 7.84 million number -2.0%
1987 7.72 million number -1.5%
1988 7.59 million number -1.8%
1989 7.46 million number -1.7%
1990 6.99 million number -6.4%
1991 6.77 million number -3.1%
1992 6.59 million number -2.6%
1993 6.90 million number +4.6%
1994 6.75 million number -2.2%
1995 6.44 million number -4.5%
1996 6.30 million number -2.2%
1997 6.21 million number -1.5%
1998 6.21 million number +0.0%
1999 6.09 million number -1.9%
2000 5.97 million number -1.9%
2001 5.80 million number -2.9%
2002 5.54 million number -4.4%
2003 5.53 million number -0.3%
2004 5.33 million number -3.6%
2005 5.21 million number -2.2%
2006 4.98 million number -4.4%
2007 4.73 million number -5.0%
2008 4.43 million number -6.3%
2009 5.39 million number +21.8%
2010 5.23 million number -3.1%
2011 5.25 million number +0.4%
2012 3.76 million number -28.4%
2013 3.47 million number -7.5%
2014 2.99 million number -13.8%
2015 4.11 million number +37.2%
2016 3.24 million number -21.1%
2017 2.94 million number -9.2%
2018 4.31 million number +46.4%
2019 4.20 million number -2.4%

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) 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.

YearChange FromTo
2018 +46.4% 2.94 million number 4.31 million number
2015 +37.2% 2.99 million number 4.11 million number
2012 -28.4% 5.25 million number 3.76 million number

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 7.71 million number 7.22 million number 8.07 million number 8
1980s 7.93 million number 7.46 million number 8.20 million number 10
1990s 6.52 million number 6.09 million number 6.99 million number 10
2000s 5.29 million number 4.43 million number 5.97 million number 10
2010s 3.95 million number 2.94 million number 5.25 million number 10

Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)

  1. 20 Nepal 300,175 number compare
  2. 21 Iraq 290,538 number compare
  3. 22 China 175,985 number compare
  4. 23 South Africa 153,207 number compare
  5. 24 Burundi 152,929 number compare
  6. 25 Zambia 151,649 number compare
  7. 26 Togo 151,538 number compare

See the full ranking of 125 places →

More education data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)

All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) →

Frequently asked questions

What is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) was 4.20 million number in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (http://uis.unesco.org/).
What is the highest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
The highest recorded value was 8.20 million number in 1983.
What is the lowest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
The lowest recorded value was 2.94 million number in 2017.
How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) rank for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female?
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) ranks 23rd out of 39 groups with data for 2019.
Is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
Over the last ten years it is down 22.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD). Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics (http://uis.unesco.org/). Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/youth-illiterate-population-15-24-years-female-number/middle-east-north-africa-afghanistan-and-pakistan-ida-and-ibrd/

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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.