Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa
UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa: Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male was 1.52 million in 2024. ▼ Falling
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa, 1977–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa is 1.52 million, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 48 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.6% on the previous year and down 9.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa peaked at 5.03 million in 1982 and was at its lowest, 1.52 million, in 2024.
That places UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa 113th out of 204 groups with data for 2024, putting it 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, male in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 4.84 million | — |
| 1978 | 4.88 million | +0.8% |
| 1979 | 4.92 million | +0.8% |
| 1980 | 4.95 million | +0.5% |
| 1981 | 4.97 million | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 5.03 million | +1.3% |
| 1983 | 4.95 million | -1.6% |
| 1984 | 4.90 million | -1.2% |
| 1985 | 4.82 million | -1.5% |
| 1986 | 4.74 million | -1.8% |
| 1987 | 4.66 million | -1.6% |
| 1988 | 4.55 million | -2.4% |
| 1989 | 4.44 million | -2.3% |
| 1990 | 4.11 million | -7.5% |
| 1991 | 3.88 million | -5.6% |
| 1992 | 3.77 million | -2.9% |
| 1993 | 3.78 million | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 3.71 million | -2.0% |
| 1995 | 3.60 million | -3.0% |
| 1996 | 3.54 million | -1.6% |
| 1997 | 3.50 million | -1.1% |
| 1998 | 3.50 million | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 3.49 million | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 3.48 million | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 3.41 million | -2.0% |
| 2002 | 3.37 million | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 2.83 million | -16.0% |
| 2004 | 2.79 million | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 2.79 million | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 3.07 million | +10.1% |
| 2007 | 2.84 million | -7.6% |
| 2008 | 2.55 million | -10.2% |
| 2009 | 2.50 million | -1.9% |
| 2010 | 2.40 million | -4.1% |
| 2011 | 2.39 million | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 1.95 million | -18.5% |
| 2013 | 1.74 million | -10.5% |
| 2014 | 1.68 million | -3.9% |
| 2015 | 1.58 million | -5.7% |
| 2016 | 2.06 million | +30.0% |
| 2017 | 1.91 million | -7.2% |
| 2018 | 1.83 million | -4.2% |
| 2019 | 1.76 million | -3.8% |
| 2020 | 1.69 million | -3.8% |
| 2021 | 1.62 million | -4.3% |
| 2022 | 1.57 million | -2.8% |
| 2023 | 1.54 million | -1.9% |
| 2024 | 1.52 million | -1.6% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa 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.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | +30.0% | 1.58 million | 2.06 million |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.88 million | 4.84 million | 4.92 million | 3 |
| 1980s | 4.80 million | 4.44 million | 5.03 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.69 million | 3.49 million | 4.11 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.96 million | 2.50 million | 3.48 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.93 million | 1.58 million | 2.40 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.59 million | 1.52 million | 1.69 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, male in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa?
- Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa was 1.52 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male recorded in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 5.03 million in 1982.
- What is the lowest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male recorded in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.52 million in 2024.
- How does UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa rank for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male?
- UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa ranks 113th out of 204 groups with data for 2024.
- Is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male rising or falling in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.4%. 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, male (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release