China vs Lower middle income: Literacy rate, adult total
China
96.7%
in 2020
Lower middle income
78.3%
in 2024
China rank
25th
Lower middle income rank
24th
Literacy rate, adult total over time
- China
- Lower middle income
How they compare
China currently reports 96.7% against 78.3% in Lower middle income, a difference of 18.4%.
That makes China's figure about 1.2 times Lower middle income's.
Across all 5 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 25th and Lower middle income ranks 24th of 89 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Lower middle income | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 65.5% | 47.2% | 18.3% | China |
| 1990s | 77.8% | 52.4% | 25.4% | China |
| 2000s | 90.9% | 62.9% | 28.1% | China |
| 2010s | 95.1% | 69.6% | 25.5% | China |
| 2020s | 96.7% | 76.0% | 20.7% | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher literacy rate, adult total, China or Lower middle income?
- China, at 96.7% against 78.3% in Lower middle income as of 2020.
- What is the difference in literacy rate, adult total between China and Lower middle income?
- 18.4%, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Lower middle income?
- 5 years are reported by both, from 1982 to 2020.
- How do China and Lower middle income rank globally for literacy rate, adult total?
- China ranks 25th and Lower middle income ranks 24th of 89 countries.
- 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.