Share of Global Illiterate Population Living in Each Region (2016)
Key Findings
About This Dataset
Share of Global Illiterate Population Living in Each Region (2016)Southern Asia alone accounts for nearly half of all illiterate adults globally, making it the single most critical region for literacy investment. Sub-Saharan Africa follows with more than a quarter of the global illiterate population, and together these two regions represent over three-quarters of the worldwide illiteracy burden. Eastern and South-Eastern Asia and Northern Africa and Western Asia each hold approximately one-tenth of the global total. By contrast, regions such as Central Asia, Europe and Northern America, and Oceania contribute less than 2% combined - reflecting the dramatic disparity in literacy development across the world.
Data Insights
Numbers, trends & sources behind this chart
Methodology & source
- Data source
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics
- Coverage
- 6 entities · 2016 · 6 observations
- Measure
- Share of Global Illiterate Population (%)
- Last updated
- 29 June 2026
- Compiled by
- The ANYSTAT team, from the source above
- Values use the measure and unit named on this page. Consult the dataset description and cited source for coverage, definitions and any unit conversions. Displayed values may be rounded for readability.
- Entities are ranked highest-first on their value in 2016.
Data Sources & References
All external sources cited in this dataset
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