Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in Europe & Central Asia

Europe & Central Asia: Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes was 3.78 million number in 2019. ▼ Falling

Latest (2019)
3.78 million number
Change on year
down 3.3%
Rank
31st
of 38 groups
All-time high
13.09 million number
in 1994
All-time low
3.78 million number
in 2019
Years of data
26
1994–2019

Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in Europe & Central Asia, 1994–2019

4.0M6.0M8.0M10.0M12.0M14.0M1994200620191994: 13.1M number1995: 12.6M number1996: 12.0M number1997: 11.4M number1998: 11.2M number1999: 10.7M number2000: 10.5M number2001: 10.0M number2002: 9.1M number2003: 8.7M number2004: 8.3M number2005: 7.9M number2006: 7.8M number2007: 7.4M number2008: 7.5M number2009: 6.4M number2010: 5.6M number2011: 5.2M number2012: 4.9M number2013: 4.6M number2014: 4.5M number2015: 4.4M number2016: 4.2M number2017: 4.1M number2018: 3.9M number2019: 3.8M number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

In 2019, illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in Europe & Central Asia stood at 3.78 million number. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.

The figure is down 3.3% on the previous year and down 40.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in Europe & Central Asia peaked at 13.09 million number in 1994 and was at its lowest, 3.78 million number, in 2019.

That places Europe & Central Asia 31st out of 38 groups with data for 2019, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.

Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in Europe & Central Asia, year by year

Annual values for Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes (number) in Europe & Central Asia, 1994 to 2019.
Year number Change
1994 13.09 million number
1995 12.58 million number -3.9%
1996 12.01 million number -4.5%
1997 11.44 million number -4.8%
1998 11.16 million number -2.5%
1999 10.65 million number -4.5%
2000 10.55 million number -1.0%
2001 9.99 million number -5.3%
2002 9.13 million number -8.6%
2003 8.72 million number -4.5%
2004 8.26 million number -5.3%
2005 7.93 million number -4.0%
2006 7.80 million number -1.6%
2007 7.42 million number -4.9%
2008 7.47 million number +0.7%
2009 6.40 million number -14.3%
2010 5.64 million number -11.8%
2011 5.17 million number -8.4%
2012 4.86 million number -5.9%
2013 4.64 million number -4.6%
2014 4.51 million number -2.8%
2015 4.38 million number -2.9%
2016 4.21 million number -3.9%
2017 4.08 million number -3.1%
2018 3.91 million number -4.1%
2019 3.78 million number -3.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 11.82 million number 10.65 million number 13.09 million number 6
2000s 8.36 million number 6.40 million number 10.55 million number 10
2010s 4.52 million number 3.78 million number 5.64 million number 10

Countries ranked near Europe & Central Asia

  1. 28 Malawi 2.15 million number compare
  2. 29 Cambodia 1.50 million number compare
  3. 30 Burundi 1.38 million number compare
  4. 31 Rwanda 1.36 million number compare
  5. 32 Guatemala 1.27 million number compare
  6. 33 Tunisia 1.12 million number compare
  7. 34 Togo 1.06 million number compare

See the full ranking of 122 places →

More reference data data for Europe & Central Asia

All data for Europe & Central Asia →

Frequently asked questions

What is illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in Europe & Central Asia?
Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in Europe & Central Asia was 3.78 million number in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in Europe & Central Asia?
The highest recorded value was 13.09 million number in 1994.
What is the lowest illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in Europe & Central Asia?
The lowest recorded value was 3.78 million number in 2019.
How does Europe & Central Asia rank for illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes?
Europe & Central Asia ranks 31st out of 38 groups with data for 2019.
Is illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes rising or falling in Europe & Central Asia?
Over the last ten years it is down 40.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Europe & Central Asia data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in Europe & Central Asia. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/illiterate-population-25-64-years-both-sexes-number/europe-and-central-asia/

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About this data

Indicator
Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
122 places, 2,239 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Total number of adults from age 25 to age 64 who cannot both read and write with understanding a short simple statement on their everyday life.