Illiterate population, 25-64 years, male in East Asia & Pacific

East Asia & Pacific: Illiterate population, 25-64 years, male was 13.81 million number in 2019. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2019)
13.81 million number
Change on year
down 4.5%
Rank
24th
of 38 groups
All-time high
75.50 million number
in 1977
All-time low
13.81 million number
in 2019
Years of data
44
1976–2019

Illiterate population, 25-64 years, male in East Asia & Pacific, 1976–2019

20.0M40.0M60.0M80.0M1976199720191976: 73.7M number1977: 75.5M number1978: 74.7M number1979: 73.7M number1980: 73.2M number1981: 71.5M number1982: 64.5M number1983: 68.6M number1984: 67.0M number1985: 65.6M number1986: 64.0M number1987: 61.9M number1988: 52.3M number1989: 50.9M number1990: 49.2M number1991: 48.2M number1992: 46.9M number1993: 46.0M number1994: 44.4M number1995: 42.7M number1996: 41.5M number1997: 29.4M number1998: 28.2M number1999: 26.9M number2000: 22.9M number2001: 24.1M number2002: 22.9M number2003: 22.1M number2004: 20.5M number2005: 19.2M number2006: 18.6M number2007: 17.3M number2008: 16.6M number2009: 16.4M number2010: 16.6M number2011: 18.9M number2012: 18.3M number2013: 17.9M number2014: 16.0M number2015: 15.2M number2016: 14.9M number2017: 14.4M number2018: 14.5M number2019: 13.8M number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

East Asia & Pacific recorded 13.81 million number for illiterate population, 25-64 years, male in 2019. That is the lowest value across all 44 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.5% on the previous year and down 15.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, illiterate population, 25-64 years, male in East Asia & Pacific peaked at 75.50 million number in 1977 and was at its lowest, 13.81 million number, in 2019.

That places East Asia & Pacific 24th out of 38 groups with data for 2019, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

Illiterate population, 25-64 years, male in East Asia & Pacific, year by year

Annual values for Illiterate population, 25-64 years, male (number) in East Asia & Pacific, 1976 to 2019.
Year number Change
1976 73.71 million number
1977 75.50 million number +2.4%
1978 74.69 million number -1.1%
1979 73.69 million number -1.3%
1980 73.21 million number -0.6%
1981 71.54 million number -2.3%
1982 64.52 million number -9.8%
1983 68.56 million number +6.3%
1984 66.97 million number -2.3%
1985 65.61 million number -2.0%
1986 63.97 million number -2.5%
1987 61.91 million number -3.2%
1988 52.30 million number -15.5%
1989 50.89 million number -2.7%
1990 49.24 million number -3.2%
1991 48.23 million number -2.0%
1992 46.89 million number -2.8%
1993 46.03 million number -1.8%
1994 44.41 million number -3.5%
1995 42.68 million number -3.9%
1996 41.45 million number -2.9%
1997 29.35 million number -29.2%
1998 28.20 million number -3.9%
1999 26.92 million number -4.5%
2000 22.86 million number -15.1%
2001 24.08 million number +5.3%
2002 22.91 million number -4.9%
2003 22.10 million number -3.5%
2004 20.52 million number -7.1%
2005 19.23 million number -6.3%
2006 18.65 million number -3.0%
2007 17.29 million number -7.3%
2008 16.59 million number -4.1%
2009 16.37 million number -1.3%
2010 16.60 million number +1.4%
2011 18.85 million number +13.6%
2012 18.33 million number -2.8%
2013 17.95 million number -2.1%
2014 16.00 million number -10.8%
2015 15.19 million number -5.1%
2016 14.89 million number -2.0%
2017 14.41 million number -3.2%
2018 14.46 million number +0.3%
2019 13.81 million number -4.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 74.40 million number 73.69 million number 75.50 million number 4
1980s 63.95 million number 50.89 million number 73.21 million number 10
1990s 40.34 million number 26.92 million number 49.24 million number 10
2000s 20.06 million number 16.37 million number 24.08 million number 10
2010s 16.05 million number 13.81 million number 18.85 million number 10

Countries ranked near East Asia & Pacific

  1. 21 Algeria 1.11 million number compare
  2. 22 Thailand 1.03 million number compare
  3. 23 Benin 1.02 million number compare
  4. 24 Vietnam 1.02 million number compare
  5. 25 Senegal 959,346 number compare
  6. 26 Mexico 869,768 number compare
  7. 27 Cameroon 817,160 number compare

See the full ranking of 122 places →

More reference data data for East Asia & Pacific

All data for East Asia & Pacific →

Frequently asked questions

What is illiterate population, 25-64 years, male in East Asia & Pacific?
Illiterate population, 25-64 years, male in East Asia & Pacific was 13.81 million number in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest illiterate population, 25-64 years, male recorded in East Asia & Pacific?
The highest recorded value was 75.50 million number in 1977.
What is the lowest illiterate population, 25-64 years, male recorded in East Asia & Pacific?
The lowest recorded value was 13.81 million number in 2019.
How does East Asia & Pacific rank for illiterate population, 25-64 years, male?
East Asia & Pacific ranks 24th out of 38 groups with data for 2019.
Is illiterate population, 25-64 years, male rising or falling in East Asia & Pacific?
Over the last ten years it is down 15.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this East Asia & Pacific data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Illiterate population, 25-64 years, male (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Illiterate population, 25-64 years, male in East Asia & Pacific. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/illiterate-population-25-64-years-male-number/east-asia-and-pacific/

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About this data

Indicator
Illiterate population, 25-64 years, male (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
122 places, 2,243 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

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