Literate and illiterate world population in Palestine
Palestine: Literate and illiterate world population was 2.1% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Literate and illiterate world population in Palestine, 1997–2024
Source: UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Palestine recorded 2.1% for literate and illiterate world population in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 20 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.6% on the previous year and down 45.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literate and illiterate world population in Palestine peaked at 13.9% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 2.1%, in 2024.
Palestine ranks 100th 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 Palestine, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 13.9% | — |
| 2004 | 7.5% | -46.0% |
| 2006 | 6.5% | -12.9% |
| 2007 | 6.2% | -4.7% |
| 2008 | 6.0% | -4.0% |
| 2009 | 5.6% | -7.0% |
| 2010 | 5.3% | -5.2% |
| 2011 | 5.0% | -5.9% |
| 2012 | 4.3% | -12.9% |
| 2013 | 4.0% | -8.8% |
| 2014 | 3.8% | -4.1% |
| 2015 | 3.5% | -7.1% |
| 2016 | 3.3% | -6.8% |
| 2017 | 3.1% | -6.1% |
| 2018 | 2.8% | -9.7% |
| 2019 | 2.6% | -5.8% |
| 2020 | 2.5% | -5.0% |
| 2021 | 2.3% | -7.0% |
| 2022 | 2.2% | -6.7% |
| 2024 | 2.1% | -4.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 13.9% | 13.9% | 13.9% | 1 |
| 2000s | 6.4% | 5.6% | 7.5% | 5 |
| 2010s | 3.8% | 2.6% | 5.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.3% | 2.1% | 2.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Palestine
More population data for Palestine
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.0758 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -3.21 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.0758 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.1948 % change on previous year (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.5205 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate 0.062 (2100)
- Population density 1,906 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 600,680 (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development 0.062 (2100)
- Total population (thousands), annual growth rate 1.65 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literate and illiterate world population in Palestine?
- Literate and illiterate world population in Palestine was 2.1% in 2024, according to UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest literate and illiterate world population recorded in Palestine?
- The highest recorded value was 13.9% in 1997.
- What is the lowest literate and illiterate world population recorded in Palestine?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.1% in 2024.
- How does Palestine rank for literate and illiterate world population?
- Palestine ranks 100th out of 128 countries with data for 2024.
- Is literate and illiterate world population rising or falling in Palestine?
- Over the last ten years it is down 45.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Palestine data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Literate and illiterate world population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 20 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of adults who cannot read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life.