Literate and illiterate world population in Spain

Spain: Literate and illiterate world population was 0.3 in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
0.3
Change on year
down 78.7%
World rank
124th
of 128 countries
All-time high
97
in 1475
All-time low
0.3
in 2021
Years of data
27
1475–2021

Literate and illiterate world population in Spain, 1475–2021

0204060801001475174820211475: 971550: 961650: 951750: 921900: 58.71910: 52.21920: 441940: 23.21950: 17.51981: 7.21991: 3.52004: 2.82005: 2.22006: 2.22007: 2.12008: 2.42009: 2.32010: 2.22011: 2.22012: 2.12013: 1.92014: 1.92015: 1.92016: 1.82018: 1.62020: 1.42021: 0.3

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for literate and illiterate world population in Spain is 0.3, measured in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 27 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 78.7% on the previous year and down 86.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literate and illiterate world population in Spain peaked at 97 in 1475 and was at its lowest, 0.3, in 2021.

Spain ranks 124th of 128 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

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

Literate and illiterate world population in Spain, year by year

Annual values for Literate and illiterate world population in Spain, 1475 to 2021.
Year Value Change
1475 97 —
1550 96 -1.0%
1650 95 -1.0%
1750 92 -3.2%
1900 58.7 -36.2%
1910 52.2 -11.1%
1920 44 -15.7%
1940 23.2 -47.3%
1950 17.5 -24.6%
1981 7.19 -58.9%
1991 3.51 -51.2%
2004 2.83 -19.4%
2005 2.25 -20.5%
2006 2.25 +0.0%
2007 2.06 -8.4%
2008 2.37 +15.0%
2009 2.32 -2.1%
2010 2.25 -3.0%
2011 2.22 -1.3%
2012 2.11 -5.0%
2013 1.92 -9.0%
2014 1.91 -0.5%
2015 1.86 -2.6%
2016 1.75 -5.9%
2018 1.56 -10.9%
2020 1.41 -9.6%
2021 0.3 -78.7%

Spain compared with similar countries

  • Spain's 0.3 is below the median for high income countries, which is 2.18, 14% of the median. (33 countries reporting)
  • Spain's 0.3 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.5, 20% of the median. (25 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Literate and illiterate world population in Spain changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
2021 -78.7% 1.41 0.3

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1470s 97 97 97 1
1550s 96 96 96 1
1650s 95 95 95 1
1750s 92 92 92 1
1900s 58.7 58.7 58.7 1
1910s 52.2 52.2 52.2 1
1920s 44 44 44 1
1940s 23.2 23.2 23.2 1
1950s 17.5 17.5 17.5 1
1980s 7.19 7.19 7.19 1
1990s 3.51 3.51 3.51 1
2000s 2.35 2.06 2.83 6
2010s 1.95 1.56 2.25 8
2020s 0.855 0.3 1.41 2

Countries ranked near Spain

  1. 121 Italy 0.65 compare
  2. 122 Tonga 0.52 compare
  3. 123 Georgia 0.32 compare
  4. 125 Tajikistan 0.2701 compare
  5. 126 Azerbaijan 0.22 compare
  6. 127 Armenia 0.16 compare

See the full ranking of 128 places →

More population data for Spain

All data for Spain →

Frequently asked questions

What is literate and illiterate world population in Spain?
Literate and illiterate world population in Spain was 0.3 in 2021, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest literate and illiterate world population recorded in Spain?
The highest recorded value was 97 in 1475.
What is the lowest literate and illiterate world population recorded in Spain?
The lowest recorded value was 0.3 in 2021.
How does Spain rank for literate and illiterate world population?
Spain ranks 124th out of 128 countries with data for 2021.
Is literate and illiterate world population rising or falling in Spain?
Over the last ten years it is down 86.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Spain data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Literate and illiterate world population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Literate and illiterate world population in Spain. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 12 November 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/literate-and-illiterate-world-population/spain/

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About this data

Indicator
Literate and illiterate world population
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
128 places, 1,272 data points, 1475–2024
Last refreshed