Malaysia vs Panama: Literacy rates among adults
Malaysia
95.8%
in 2022
Panama
96.2%
in 2024
Malaysia rank
33rd
Panama rank
30th
Literacy rates among adults over time
- Malaysia
- Panama
How they compare
Panama currently reports 96.2% against 95.8% in Malaysia, a difference of 0.4%.
Across all 5 years both countries report, Panama has been ahead every year.
Malaysia ranks 33rd and Panama ranks 30th of 89 countries.
Panama has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malaysia | Panama | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 69.5% | 88.1% | 18.5% | Panama |
| 2000s | 88.7% | 91.9% | 3.2% | Panama |
| 2010s | 94.3% | 95.1% | 0.8% | Panama |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher literacy rates among adults, Malaysia or Panama?
- Panama, at 96.2% against 95.8% in Malaysia as of 2024.
- What is the difference in literacy rates among adults between Malaysia and Panama?
- 0.4%, with Panama ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malaysia and Panama?
- 5 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2019.
- How do Malaysia and Panama rank globally for literacy rates among adults?
- Malaysia ranks 33rd and Panama ranks 30th of 89 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Literacy rates among adults. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of the population aged 15 years and older who can read and write.