China vs World: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female

China
27.90 million number
in 2018
World
484.99 million number
in 2019
China rank
3rd
World rank
1st

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female over time

  • China
  • World
0200.0M400.0M600.0M197619972019

How they compare

World currently reports 484.99 million number against 27.90 million number in China, a difference of 457.09 million number.

That makes World's figure about 17.4 times China's.

Across all 5 years both countries report, World has been ahead every year.

China ranks 3rd and World ranks 1st of 87 countries.

World has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade China World Difference Ahead
1980s 162.26 million number 582.40 million number 420.15 million number World
1990s 130.98 million number 581.12 million number 450.14 million number World
2000s 64.14 million number 528.41 million number 464.27 million number World
2010s 33.87 million number 499.37 million number 465.50 million number World

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female, China or World?
World, at 484.99 million number against 27.90 million number in China as of 2019.
What is the difference in adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female between China and World?
457.09 million number, with World ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and World?
5 years are reported by both, from 1982 to 2018.
How do China and World rank globally for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female?
China ranks 3rd and World ranks 1st of 87 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female (number). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China vs World: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 06 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/adult-illiterate-population-15-years-female-number/china/world/

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About this data

Indicator
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
126 places, 2,268 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

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