Illiterate population, 25-64 years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan: Illiterate population, 25-64 years, female was 28.84 million number in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
28.84 million number
Change on year
up 0.1%
Rank
22nd
of 39 groups
All-time high
29.31 million number
in 2016
All-time low
19.71 million number
in 1973
Years of data
47
1973–2019

Illiterate population, 25-64 years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, 1973–2019

010.0M20.0M30.0M197319962019

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

The most recent figure for illiterate population, 25-64 years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan is 28.84 million number, measured in 2019.

The figure is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 3.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, illiterate population, 25-64 years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan peaked at 29.31 million number in 2016 and was at its lowest, 19.71 million number, in 1973.

That places Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 22nd out of 39 groups with data for 2019, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 47 years of available data.

Illiterate population, 25-64 years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, year by year

Annual values for Illiterate population, 25-64 years, female (number) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, 1973 to 2019.
Year number Change
1973 19.71 million number
1974 20.10 million number +1.9%
1975 20.51 million number +2.1%
1976 20.90 million number +1.9%
1977 21.39 million number +2.3%
1978 21.86 million number +2.2%
1979 22.36 million number +2.3%
1980 22.87 million number +2.3%
1981 23.38 million number +2.2%
1982 23.88 million number +2.2%
1983 24.39 million number +2.1%
1984 24.95 million number +2.3%
1985 25.50 million number +2.2%
1986 25.94 million number +1.7%
1987 26.43 million number +1.9%
1988 26.77 million number +1.3%
1989 27.13 million number +1.3%
1990 26.76 million number -1.4%
1991 27.04 million number +1.0%
1992 27.31 million number +1.0%
1993 27.59 million number +1.0%
1994 27.83 million number +0.9%
1995 27.65 million number -0.6%
1996 27.60 million number -0.2%
1997 27.71 million number +0.4%
1998 27.64 million number -0.2%
1999 27.61 million number -0.1%
2000 27.64 million number +0.1%
2001 27.51 million number -0.5%
2002 27.41 million number -0.4%
2003 26.25 million number -4.2%
2004 26.13 million number -0.5%
2005 26.91 million number +3.0%
2006 27.51 million number +2.2%
2007 27.87 million number +1.3%
2008 27.93 million number +0.2%
2009 27.96 million number +0.1%
2010 28.06 million number +0.4%
2011 28.03 million number -0.1%
2012 28.26 million number +0.8%
2013 29.19 million number +3.3%
2014 28.03 million number -4.0%
2015 27.73 million number -1.1%
2016 29.31 million number +5.7%
2017 28.85 million number -1.6%
2018 28.82 million number -0.1%
2019 28.84 million number +0.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 20.97 million number 19.71 million number 22.36 million number 7
1980s 25.12 million number 22.87 million number 27.13 million number 10
1990s 27.47 million number 26.76 million number 27.83 million number 10
2000s 27.31 million number 26.13 million number 27.96 million number 10
2010s 28.51 million number 27.73 million number 29.31 million number 10

Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan

  1. 19 Senegal 2.00 million number compare
  2. 20 Chad 1.97 million number compare
  3. 21 Thailand 1.80 million number compare
  4. 22 South Africa 1.74 million number compare
  5. 23 Benin 1.56 million number compare
  6. 24 Viet Nam 1.45 million number compare
  7. 25 Madagascar 1.43 million number compare

See the full ranking of 122 places →

More reference data data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan

All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan →

Frequently asked questions

What is illiterate population, 25-64 years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
Illiterate population, 25-64 years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan was 28.84 million number in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest illiterate population, 25-64 years, female recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
The highest recorded value was 29.31 million number in 2016.
What is the lowest illiterate population, 25-64 years, female recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
The lowest recorded value was 19.71 million number in 1973.
How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan rank for illiterate population, 25-64 years, female?
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan ranks 22nd out of 39 groups with data for 2019.
Is illiterate population, 25-64 years, female rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
Over the last ten years it is up 3.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Illiterate population, 25-64 years, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Illiterate population, 25-64 years, female in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/illiterate-population-25-64-years-female-number/middle-east-north-africa-afghanistan-and-pakistan/

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About this data

Indicator
Illiterate population, 25-64 years, female (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
122 places, 2,240 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

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