Illiterate population, 25-64 years, male in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD): Illiterate population, 25-64 years, male was 15.54 million number in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
15.54 million number
Change on year
up 0.5%
Rank
24th
of 39 groups
All-time high
15.61 million number
in 2016
All-time low
10.81 million number
in 2004
Years of data
49
1971–2019

Illiterate population, 25-64 years, male in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), 1971–2019

05.0M10.0M15.0M197119952019

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

The most recent figure for illiterate population, 25-64 years, male in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) is 15.54 million number, measured in 2019.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 16.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, illiterate population, 25-64 years, male in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) peaked at 15.61 million number in 2016 and was at its lowest, 10.81 million number, in 2004.

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) ranks 24th of 39 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 49 years of available data.

Illiterate population, 25-64 years, male in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), year by year

Annual values for Illiterate population, 25-64 years, male (number) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), 1971 to 2019.
Year number Change
1971 11.54 million number
1972 11.65 million number +0.9%
1973 11.77 million number +1.1%
1974 11.92 million number +1.3%
1975 12.09 million number +1.4%
1976 12.32 million number +1.9%
1977 12.50 million number +1.4%
1978 12.71 million number +1.6%
1979 12.93 million number +1.7%
1980 13.12 million number +1.5%
1981 13.30 million number +1.4%
1982 13.47 million number +1.3%
1983 13.93 million number +3.4%
1984 14.10 million number +1.2%
1985 14.21 million number +0.8%
1986 14.40 million number +1.4%
1987 14.50 million number +0.7%
1988 14.59 million number +0.6%
1989 14.70 million number +0.7%
1990 14.17 million number -3.6%
1991 14.26 million number +0.6%
1992 14.25 million number -0.0%
1993 13.91 million number -2.4%
1994 13.96 million number +0.4%
1995 13.73 million number -1.6%
1996 13.60 million number -0.9%
1997 13.44 million number -1.2%
1998 13.18 million number -1.9%
1999 13.03 million number -1.2%
2000 12.92 million number -0.8%
2001 12.68 million number -1.9%
2002 12.51 million number -1.4%
2003 10.90 million number -12.8%
2004 10.81 million number -0.8%
2005 11.90 million number +10.1%
2006 12.79 million number +7.5%
2007 12.87 million number +0.6%
2008 12.91 million number +0.4%
2009 13.33 million number +3.2%
2010 13.45 million number +0.9%
2011 13.91 million number +3.4%
2012 13.46 million number -3.2%
2013 13.49 million number +0.3%
2014 13.68 million number +1.4%
2015 13.60 million number -0.6%
2016 15.61 million number +14.8%
2017 15.52 million number -0.6%
2018 15.47 million number -0.3%
2019 15.54 million number +0.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 12.16 million number 11.54 million number 12.93 million number 9
1980s 14.03 million number 13.12 million number 14.70 million number 10
1990s 13.75 million number 13.03 million number 14.26 million number 10
2000s 12.36 million number 10.81 million number 13.33 million number 10
2010s 14.37 million number 13.45 million number 15.61 million number 10

Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)

  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 Viet Nam 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)

All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) →

Frequently asked questions

What is illiterate population, 25-64 years, male in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
Illiterate population, 25-64 years, male in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) was 15.54 million number in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest illiterate population, 25-64 years, male recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
The highest recorded value was 15.61 million number in 2016.
What is the lowest illiterate population, 25-64 years, male recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
The lowest recorded value was 10.81 million number in 2004.
How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) rank for illiterate population, 25-64 years, male?
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) ranks 24th out of 39 groups with data for 2019.
Is illiterate population, 25-64 years, male rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
Over the last ten years it is up 16.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD). Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 13 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/illiterate-population-25-64-years-male-number/middle-east-north-africa-afghanistan-and-pakistan-ida-and-ibrd/

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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.