Arab World vs China: Literacy rate, adult total
Arab World
79.0%
in 2024
China
96.7%
in 2020
Arab World rank
23rd
China rank
25th
Literacy rate, adult total over time
- Arab World
- China
How they compare
China currently reports 96.7% against 79.0% in Arab World, a difference of 17.7%.
That makes China's figure about 1.2 times Arab World's.
Across all 5 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
Arab World ranks 23rd and China ranks 25th of 39 groups.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Arab World | China | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 50.1% | 65.5% | 15.4% | China |
| 1990s | 56.0% | 77.8% | 21.8% | China |
| 2000s | 65.2% | 90.9% | 25.8% | China |
| 2010s | 72.6% | 95.1% | 22.6% | China |
| 2020s | 77.6% | 96.7% | 19.2% | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher literacy rate, adult total, Arab World or China?
- China, at 96.7% against 79.0% in Arab World as of 2020.
- What is the difference in literacy rate, adult total between Arab World and China?
- 17.7%, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Arab World and China?
- 5 years are reported by both, from 1982 to 2020.
- How do Arab World and China rank globally for literacy rate, adult total?
- Arab World ranks 23rd and China ranks 25th of 39 groups.
- Where does this data come from?
- Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.