Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in China

China: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female was 27.90 million number in 2018. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2018)
27.90 million number
World rank
3rd
of 87 countries
All-time high
162.26 million number
in 1982
All-time low
27.90 million number
in 2018
Years of data
5
1982–2018

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in China, 1982–2018

50.0M100.0M150.0M1982200020181982: 162.3M number1990: 131.0M number2000: 64.1M number2010: 39.8M number2018: 27.9M number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

The most recent figure for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in China is 27.90 million number, measured in 2018. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.

That represents a change of down 30.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in China peaked at 162.26 million number in 1982 and was at its lowest, 27.90 million number, in 2018.

China ranks 3rd of 87 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in China, year by year

Annual values for Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female (number) in China, 1982 to 2018.
Year number Change
1982 162.26 million number
1990 130.98 million number -19.3%
2000 64.14 million number -51.0%
2010 39.84 million number -37.9%
2018 27.90 million number -30.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 162.26 million number 162.26 million number 162.26 million number 1
1990s 130.98 million number 130.98 million number 130.98 million number 1
2000s 64.14 million number 64.14 million number 64.14 million number 1
2010s 33.87 million number 27.90 million number 39.84 million number 2

Countries ranked near China

  1. 1 India 162.78 million number compare
  2. 2 Pakistan 35.03 million number compare
  3. 4 Nigeria 25.86 million number compare
  4. 5 Ethiopia 17.51 million number compare
  5. 6 Bangladesh 16.51 million number compare

See the full ranking of 126 places →

More education data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in China?
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in China was 27.90 million number in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 162.26 million number in 1982.
What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 27.90 million number in 2018.
How does China rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female?
China ranks 3rd out of 87 countries with data for 2018.
Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is down 30.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this China data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in China. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/adult-illiterate-population-15-years-female-number/china/

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About this data

Indicator
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
126 places, 2,268 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

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