Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income): Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male was 2.90 million number in 2019. ▼ Falling

Latest (2019)
2.90 million number
Change on year
down 2.2%
Rank
23rd
of 39 groups
All-time high
4.36 million number
in 1982
All-time low
1.45 million number
in 2014
Years of data
48
1972–2019

Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), 1972–2019

1.0M2.0M3.0M4.0M197219952019

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

The most recent figure for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) is 2.90 million number, measured in 2019.

The figure is down 2.2% on the previous year and down 9.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) peaked at 4.36 million number in 1982 and was at its lowest, 1.45 million number, in 2014.

That places Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) 23rd out of 39 groups with data for 2019, 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), year by year

Annual values for Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male (number) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), 1972 to 2019.
Year number Change
1972 3.92 million number
1973 4.01 million number +2.2%
1974 4.10 million number +2.1%
1975 4.17 million number +1.8%
1976 4.20 million number +0.7%
1977 4.26 million number +1.5%
1978 4.30 million number +0.8%
1979 4.33 million number +0.7%
1980 4.36 million number +0.6%
1981 4.36 million number +0.0%
1982 4.36 million number +0.0%
1983 4.27 million number -1.9%
1984 4.22 million number -1.3%
1985 4.15 million number -1.6%
1986 4.04 million number -2.5%
1987 3.97 million number -1.8%
1988 3.90 million number -1.8%
1989 3.84 million number -1.5%
1990 3.56 million number -7.4%
1991 3.35 million number -5.9%
1992 3.27 million number -2.3%
1993 3.32 million number +1.6%
1994 3.30 million number -0.9%
1995 3.23 million number -2.1%
1996 3.19 million number -0.9%
1997 3.19 million number -0.1%
1998 3.22 million number +0.9%
1999 3.22 million number +0.1%
2000 3.22 million number -0.1%
2001 3.15 million number -2.2%
2002 3.04 million number -3.4%
2003 2.51 million number -17.6%
2004 2.48 million number -1.1%
2005 2.47 million number -0.2%
2006 2.74 million number +10.7%
2007 2.60 million number -5.0%
2008 2.39 million number -8.2%
2009 3.21 million number +34.2%
2010 3.14 million number -2.1%
2011 3.12 million number -0.5%
2012 1.79 million number -42.6%
2013 1.84 million number +2.8%
2014 1.45 million number -21.1%
2015 2.64 million number +81.7%
2016 1.81 million number -31.7%
2017 1.66 million number -8.3%
2018 2.97 million number +79.4%
2019 2.90 million number -2.2%

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) 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
2015 +81.7% 1.45 million number 2.64 million number
2018 +79.4% 1.66 million number 2.97 million number
2012 -42.6% 3.12 million number 1.79 million number
2009 +34.2% 2.39 million number 3.21 million number
2016 -31.7% 2.64 million number 1.81 million number

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 4.16 million number 3.92 million number 4.33 million number 8
1980s 4.15 million number 3.84 million number 4.36 million number 10
1990s 3.29 million number 3.19 million number 3.56 million number 10
2000s 2.78 million number 2.39 million number 3.22 million number 10
2010s 2.33 million number 1.45 million number 3.14 million number 10

Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)

  1. 20 Central African Republic 263,922 number compare
  2. 21 China 199,329 number compare
  3. 22 Iraq 196,503 number compare
  4. 23 Rwanda 187,189 number compare
  5. 24 Nepal 180,840 number compare
  6. 25 Brazil 174,943 number compare
  7. 26 Zambia 133,422 number compare

See the full ranking of 125 places →

More education data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)

All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) →

Frequently asked questions

What is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) was 2.90 million number in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
The highest recorded value was 4.36 million number in 1982.
What is the lowest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
The lowest recorded value was 1.45 million number in 2014.
How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) rank for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male?
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ranks 23rd out of 39 groups with data for 2019.
Is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
Over the last ten years it is down 9.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) 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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Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income). Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/youth-illiterate-population-15-24-years-male-number/middle-east-north-africa-afghanistan-and-pakistan-excluding-high-income/

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About this data

Indicator
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
125 places, 2,252 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

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