Malaysia vs SDG: Eastern Asia: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes

Malaysia
95.8%
in 2022
SDG: Eastern Asia
97.2%
in 2024
Malaysia rank
33rd
SDG: Eastern Asia rank
34th

Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes over time

  • Malaysia
  • SDG: Eastern Asia
020406080100197620002024

How they compare

SDG: Eastern Asia currently reports 97.2% against 95.8% in Malaysia, a difference of 1.4%.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 9 shared years of data; in 1980 it was Malaysia ahead.

Malaysia ranks 33rd and SDG: Eastern Asia ranks 34th of 89 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, Malaysia averaged higher in 2 and SDG: Eastern Asia in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade Malaysia SDG: Eastern Asia Difference Ahead
1980s 69.5% 66.8% 2.7% Malaysia
1990s 82.9% 80.8% 2.1% Malaysia
2000s 88.7% 90.8% 2.1% SDG: Eastern Asia
2010s 94.6% 96.0% 1.5% SDG: Eastern Asia
2020s 95.8% 97.0% 1.2% SDG: Eastern Asia

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes, Malaysia or SDG: Eastern Asia?
SDG: Eastern Asia, at 97.2% against 95.8% in Malaysia as of 2024.
What is the difference in adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes between Malaysia and SDG: Eastern Asia?
1.4%, with SDG: Eastern Asia ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Malaysia and SDG: Eastern Asia?
9 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2022.
How do Malaysia and SDG: Eastern Asia rank globally for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes?
Malaysia ranks 33rd and SDG: Eastern Asia ranks 34th of 89 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Malaysia vs SDG: Eastern Asia: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/adult-literacy-rate-population-15-years-both-sexes-percent/malaysia/sdg-eastern-asia/

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About this data

Indicator
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
292 places, 9,592 data points, 1970–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release