Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity in China
China: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity was 0.97 GPIA in 2020. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity in China, 1982–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in GPIA.
Analysis
China recorded 0.97 GPIA for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity in 2020. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity in China peaked at 0.97 GPIA in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.65 GPIA, in 1982.
China ranks 40th of 88 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity in China, year by year
| Year | GPIA | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 0.65 GPIA | — |
| 1990 | 0.78 GPIA | +20.0% |
| 2000 | 0.91 GPIA | +16.7% |
| 2010 | 0.95 GPIA | +4.4% |
| 2020 | 0.97 GPIA | +2.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.65 GPIA | 0.65 GPIA | 0.65 GPIA | 1 |
| 1990s | 0.78 GPIA | 0.78 GPIA | 0.78 GPIA | 1 |
| 2000s | 0.91 GPIA | 0.91 GPIA | 0.91 GPIA | 1 |
| 2010s | 0.95 GPIA | 0.95 GPIA | 0.95 GPIA | 1 |
| 2020s | 0.97 GPIA | 0.97 GPIA | 0.97 GPIA | 1 |
Countries ranked near China
- 38 Myanmar 0.9793 GPIA compare
- 39 Palestine, State of 0.9739 GPIA compare
- 40 Indonesia 0.97 GPIA compare
- 40 Macau, China 0.97 GPIA compare
- 40 Singapore 0.97 GPIA compare
More education data for China
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7.41 million (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 7,020 (2021)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 21.58 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 19.36 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 97.98 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 108.57 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.9587 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0771 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity in China?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity in China was 0.97 GPIA in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 0.97 GPIA in 2020.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.65 GPIA in 1982.
- How does China rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity?
- China ranks 40th out of 88 countries with data for 2020.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity index (GPIA). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release