Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, % female in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia
SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia: Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, % female was 59.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
59.0%
Change on year
unchanged
Rank
22nd
of 204 groups
All-time high
68.0%
in 2003
All-time low
59.0%
in 2019
Years of data
38
1987–2024
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, % female in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia, 1987–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, % female in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia stood at 59.0%. That is the lowest value across all 38 years on record.
That represents a change of down 6.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, % female in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia peaked at 68.0% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 59.0%, in 2019.
That places SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia 22nd out of 204 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 38 years of available data.
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, % female in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 65.0% | — |
| 1988 | 65.0% | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 66.0% | +1.5% |
| 1990 | 66.0% | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 66.0% | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 66.0% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 67.0% | +1.5% |
| 1994 | 67.0% | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 67.0% | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 67.0% | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 66.0% | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 66.0% | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 65.0% | -1.5% |
| 2000 | 65.0% | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 65.0% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 65.0% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 68.0% | +4.6% |
| 2004 | 67.0% | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 67.0% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 63.0% | -6.0% |
| 2007 | 64.0% | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 63.0% | -1.6% |
| 2009 | 64.0% | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 63.0% | -1.6% |
| 2011 | 64.0% | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 64.0% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 63.0% | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 63.0% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 62.0% | -1.6% |
| 2016 | 61.0% | -1.6% |
| 2017 | 60.0% | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 60.0% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 59.0% | -1.7% |
| 2020 | 59.0% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 59.0% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 59.0% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 59.0% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 59.0% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 65.3% | 65.0% | 66.0% | 3 |
| 1990s | 66.3% | 65.0% | 67.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 65.1% | 63.0% | 68.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 61.9% | 59.0% | 64.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 59.0% | 59.0% | 59.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia
- 19 Burkina Faso 53.0% compare
- 19 Iran, Islamic Republic of 53.0% compare
- 19 Palestine, State of 53.0% compare
- 19 Uganda 53.0% compare
- 23 Panama 50.0% compare
- 23 Uzbekistan 50.0% compare
- 25 Chile 49.0% compare
- 25 Paraguay 49.0% compare
More education data for SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 32.09 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 0.2663 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 4.45 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 9.09 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 61.67 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.5703 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 29.58 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.7875 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.19 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 26.40 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, % female in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia?
- Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, % female in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia was 59.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, % female recorded in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 68.0% in 2003.
- What is the lowest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, % female recorded in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 59.0% in 2019.
- How does SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia rank for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, % female?
- SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia ranks 22nd out of 204 groups with data for 2024.
- Is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, % female rising or falling in SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this SDG: Northern Africa and Western Asia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, % female. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release