Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in Middle income

Middle income: Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes was 399.72 million number in 2019. β–Ό Falling

Latest (2019)
399.72 million number
Change on year
down 1.1%
Rank
4th
of 38 groups
All-time high
530.78 million number
in 1987
All-time low
399.72 million number
in 2019
Years of data
45
1975–2019

Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in Middle income, 1975–2019

0200.0M400.0M600.0M1975199720191975: 480.8M number1976: 491.4M number1977: 501.2M number1978: 505.7M number1979: 510.1M number1980: 516.6M number1981: 516.8M number1982: 510.3M number1983: 523.1M number1984: 524.3M number1985: 526.9M number1986: 528.8M number1987: 530.8M number1988: 505.4M number1989: 507.4M number1990: 507.9M number1991: 509.3M number1992: 508.8M number1993: 508.4M number1994: 507.9M number1995: 506.6M number1996: 505.8M number1997: 462.3M number1998: 436.2M number1999: 435.1M number2000: 430.6M number2001: 433.6M number2002: 432.4M number2003: 426.5M number2004: 423.4M number2005: 434.1M number2006: 429.3M number2007: 437.2M number2008: 430.9M number2009: 430.1M number2010: 421.2M number2011: 426.3M number2012: 423.6M number2013: 426.0M number2014: 419.4M number2015: 412.7M number2016: 407.4M number2017: 407.3M number2018: 404.2M number2019: 399.7M number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

The most recent figure for illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in Middle income is 399.72 million number, measured in 2019. That is the lowest value across all 45 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.1% on the previous year and down 7.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in Middle income peaked at 530.78 million number in 1987 and was at its lowest, 399.72 million number, in 2019.

Middle income ranks 4th of 38 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 45 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 497.81 million number 480.77 million number 510.07 million number 5
1980s 519.04 million number 505.36 million number 530.78 million number 10
1990s 488.83 million number 435.14 million number 509.33 million number 10
2000s 430.82 million number 423.44 million number 437.24 million number 10
2010s 414.79 million number 399.72 million number 426.34 million number 10

Countries ranked near Middle income

  1. 1 India 186.67 million number compare
  2. 2 Pakistan 39.83 million number compare
  3. 3 Nigeria 28.54 million number compare
  4. 4 Bangladesh 23.23 million number compare
  5. 5 Egypt 13.77 million number compare
  6. 6 China 13.21 million number compare
  7. 7 Brazil 6.31 million number compare

See the full ranking of 122 places β†’

More reference data data for Middle income

All data for Middle income β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in Middle income?
Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in Middle income was 399.72 million number in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in Middle income?
The highest recorded value was 530.78 million number in 1987.
What is the lowest illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in Middle income?
The lowest recorded value was 399.72 million number in 2019.
How does Middle income rank for illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes?
Middle income ranks 4th out of 38 groups with data for 2019.
Is illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes rising or falling in Middle income?
Over the last ten years it is down 7.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Middle income 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 Middle income. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 20 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/illiterate-population-25-64-years-both-sexes-number/middle-income/

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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.