China vs Lower middle income: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes

China
37.04 million number
in 2018
Lower middle income
487.55 million number
in 2019
China rank
4th
Lower middle income rank
5th

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes over time

  • China
  • Lower middle income
0100.0M200.0M300.0M400.0M500.0M197519972019

How they compare

Lower middle income currently reports 487.55 million number against 37.04 million number in China, a difference of 450.51 million number.

That makes Lower middle income's figure about 13.2 times China's.

Across all 5 years both countries report, Lower middle income has been ahead every year.

China ranks 4th and Lower middle income ranks 5th of 87 countries.

Lower middle income has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade China Lower middle income Difference Ahead
1980s 235.00 million number 434.01 million number 199.02 million number Lower middle income
1990s 186.79 million number 482.29 million number 295.50 million number Lower middle income
2000s 88.20 million number 491.85 million number 403.64 million number Lower middle income
2010s 45.58 million number 496.83 million number 451.25 million number Lower middle income

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes, China or Lower middle income?
Lower middle income, at 487.55 million number against 37.04 million number in China as of 2019.
What is the difference in adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes between China and Lower middle income?
450.51 million number, with Lower middle income ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and Lower middle income?
5 years are reported by both, from 1982 to 2018.
How do China and Lower middle income rank globally for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes?
China ranks 4th and Lower middle income ranks 5th of 87 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes (number). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China vs Lower middle income: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 13 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/adult-illiterate-population-15-years-both-sexes-number/china/lower-middle-income/

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About this data

Indicator
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
126 places, 2,267 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Total number of adults over age 15 who cannot both read and write with understanding a short simple statement on their everyday life.