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

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD): 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
24th
of 39 groups
All-time high
4.35 million number
in 1982
All-time low
1.45 million number
in 2014
Years of data
49
1971–2019

Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), 1971–2019

1.0M2.0M3.0M4.0M197119952019

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

In 2019, youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) stood at 2.90 million number.

That represents a change of 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 (IDA & IBRD) peaked at 4.35 million number in 1982 and was at its lowest, 1.45 million number, in 2014.

That places Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) 24th 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 49 years of available data.

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

Annual values for Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male (number) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), 1971 to 2019.
Year number Change
1971 3.83 million number
1972 3.92 million number +2.3%
1973 4.01 million number +2.2%
1974 4.09 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 4.29 million number +0.8%
1979 4.33 million number +0.7%
1980 4.35 million number +0.6%
1981 4.35 million number +0.0%
1982 4.35 million number +0.0%
1983 4.27 million number -1.9%
1984 4.21 million number -1.4%
1985 4.14 million number -1.6%
1986 4.04 million number -2.5%
1987 3.96 million number -1.8%
1988 3.89 million number -1.8%
1989 3.84 million number -1.5%
1990 3.55 million number -7.4%
1991 3.34 million number -5.9%
1992 3.26 million number -2.4%
1993 3.32 million number +1.6%
1994 3.29 million number -0.9%
1995 3.22 million number -2.2%
1996 3.19 million number -1.0%
1997 3.18 million number -0.1%
1998 3.21 million number +0.9%
1999 3.21 million number +0.1%
2000 3.21 million number -0.1%
2001 3.14 million number -2.2%
2002 3.04 million number -3.2%
2003 2.50 million number -17.6%
2004 2.47 million number -1.2%
2005 2.47 million number -0.2%
2006 2.73 million number +10.7%
2007 2.60 million number -5.0%
2008 2.38 million number -8.2%
2009 3.20 million number +34.2%
2010 3.13 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 +81.9%
2016 1.80 million number -31.7%
2017 1.65 million number -8.3%
2018 2.97 million number +79.5%
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 (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
2015 +81.9% 1.45 million number 2.64 million number
2018 +79.5% 1.65 million number 2.97 million number
2012 -42.6% 3.12 million number 1.79 million number
2009 +34.2% 2.38 million number 3.20 million number
2016 -31.7% 2.64 million number 1.80 million number

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 4.12 million number 3.83 million number 4.33 million number 9
1980s 4.14 million number 3.84 million number 4.35 million number 10
1990s 3.28 million number 3.18 million number 3.55 million number 10
2000s 2.78 million number 2.38 million number 3.21 million number 10
2010s 2.33 million number 1.45 million number 3.13 million number 10

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

  1. 21 China 199,329 number compare
  2. 22 Iraq 196,503 number compare
  3. 23 Rwanda 187,189 number compare
  4. 24 Nepal 180,840 number compare
  5. 25 Brazil 174,943 number compare
  6. 26 Zambia 133,422 number compare
  7. 27 Cambodia 133,054 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, male in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) 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 (IDA & IBRD)?
The highest recorded value was 4.35 million number in 1982.
What is the lowest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
The lowest recorded value was 1.45 million number in 2014.
How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) rank for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male?
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) ranks 24th 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 (IDA & IBRD)?
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 (IDA & IBRD) 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 (IDA & IBRD). 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-ida-and-ibrd/

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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.