Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in Upper middle income

Upper middle income: Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes was 48.92 million number in 2019. β—† Volatile

Latest (2019)
48.92 million number
Change on year
down 5.9%
Rank
20th
of 38 groups
All-time high
239.51 million number
in 1980
All-time low
48.92 million number
in 2019
Years of data
44
1976–2019

Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in Upper middle income, 1976–2019

50.0M100.0M150.0M200.0M250.0M1976199720191976: 231.6M number1977: 237.5M number1978: 237.7M number1979: 237.9M number1980: 239.5M number1981: 236.7M number1982: 225.0M number1983: 232.8M number1984: 229.4M number1985: 227.2M number1986: 224.4M number1987: 223.2M number1988: 193.0M number1989: 190.0M number1990: 184.9M number1991: 182.2M number1992: 178.3M number1993: 174.6M number1994: 170.6M number1995: 165.5M number1996: 161.4M number1997: 114.8M number1998: 110.5M number1999: 106.1M number2000: 94.8M number2001: 96.7M number2002: 92.7M number2003: 87.2M number2004: 83.1M number2005: 78.6M number2006: 77.3M number2007: 71.1M number2008: 68.0M number2009: 65.5M number2010: 63.4M number2011: 63.1M number2012: 62.1M number2013: 61.2M number2014: 57.1M number2015: 54.7M number2016: 52.7M number2017: 52.7M number2018: 52.0M number2019: 48.9M number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

In 2019, illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in Upper middle income stood at 48.92 million number. That is the lowest value across all 44 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.9% on the previous year and down 25.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in Upper middle income peaked at 239.51 million number in 1980 and was at its lowest, 48.92 million number, in 2019.

Upper middle income ranks 20th of 38 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 236.16 million number 231.61 million number 237.90 million number 4
1980s 222.10 million number 190.03 million number 239.51 million number 10
1990s 154.90 million number 106.14 million number 184.92 million number 10
2000s 81.49 million number 65.47 million number 96.67 million number 10
2010s 56.78 million number 48.92 million number 63.36 million number 10

Countries ranked near Upper middle income

  1. 17 Tanzania, United Republic of 3.83 million number compare
  2. 18 Algeria 3.54 million number compare
  3. 19 Chad 3.50 million number compare
  4. 20 South Africa 3.39 million number compare
  5. 21 Senegal 2.96 million number compare
  6. 22 Thailand 2.83 million number compare
  7. 23 Madagascar, Republic of 2.58 million number compare

See the full ranking of 122 places β†’

More reference data data for Upper middle income

All data for Upper middle income β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in Upper middle income?
Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in Upper middle income was 48.92 million number in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in Upper middle income?
The highest recorded value was 239.51 million number in 1980.
What is the lowest illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in Upper middle income?
The lowest recorded value was 48.92 million number in 2019.
How does Upper middle income rank for illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes?
Upper middle income ranks 20th out of 38 groups with data for 2019.
Is illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes rising or falling in Upper middle income?
Over the last ten years it is down 25.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Upper 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 Upper middle income. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 18 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/illiterate-population-25-64-years-both-sexes-number/upper-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.