China vs South Asia: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male

China
9.14 million number
in 2018
South Asia
130.41 million number
in 2019
China rank
6th
South Asia rank
9th

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male over time

  • China
  • South Asia
050.0M100.0M150.0M197519972019

How they compare

South Asia currently reports 130.41 million number against 9.14 million number in China, a difference of 121.26 million number.

That makes South Asia's figure about 14.3 times China's.

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

China ranks 6th and South Asia ranks 9th of 87 countries.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade China South Asia Difference Ahead
1980s 72.74 million number 137.79 million number 65.05 million number South Asia
1990s 55.82 million number 149.39 million number 93.58 million number South Asia
2000s 24.06 million number 139.39 million number 115.33 million number South Asia
2010s 11.71 million number 135.37 million number 123.66 million number South Asia

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male, China or South Asia?
South Asia, at 130.41 million number against 9.14 million number in China as of 2019.
What is the difference in adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male between China and South Asia?
121.26 million number, with South Asia ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and South Asia?
5 years are reported by both, from 1982 to 2018.
How do China and South Asia rank globally for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male?
China ranks 6th and South Asia ranks 9th of 87 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male (number). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China vs South Asia: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 12 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/adult-illiterate-population-15-years-male-number/china/south-asia/

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About this data

Indicator
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
126 places, 2,271 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

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