Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in SDG: Eastern Asia
SDG: Eastern Asia: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes was 97.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in SDG: Eastern Asia, 1976–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in SDG: Eastern Asia is 97.2%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 49 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in SDG: Eastern Asia peaked at 97.2% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 62.8%, in 1976.
SDG: Eastern Asia ranks 34th of 203 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 49 years of available data.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in SDG: Eastern Asia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 62.8% | — |
| 1977 | 62.9% | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 64.1% | +2.0% |
| 1979 | 65.6% | +2.2% |
| 1980 | 66.8% | +1.9% |
| 1981 | 68.0% | +1.8% |
| 1982 | 69.1% | +1.6% |
| 1983 | 70.1% | +1.5% |
| 1984 | 71.2% | +1.6% |
| 1985 | 72.2% | +1.5% |
| 1986 | 73.3% | +1.4% |
| 1987 | 74.3% | +1.4% |
| 1988 | 79.0% | +6.3% |
| 1989 | 79.6% | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 80.2% | +0.8% |
| 1991 | 80.8% | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 81.3% | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 81.8% | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 82.3% | +0.6% |
| 1995 | 82.8% | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 83.3% | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 89.7% | +7.8% |
| 1998 | 90.1% | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 90.5% | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 90.8% | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 91.1% | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 91.5% | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 91.8% | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 92.2% | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 92.5% | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 92.9% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 94.2% | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 94.4% | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 94.6% | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 94.8% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 95.0% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 95.2% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 95.4% | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 95.7% | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 95.9% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 96.1% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 96.3% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 96.4% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 96.6% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 96.7% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 96.8% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 97.0% | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 97.1% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 97.2% | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 63.9% | 62.8% | 65.6% | 4 |
| 1980s | 72.3% | 66.8% | 79.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 84.3% | 80.2% | 90.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 92.6% | 90.8% | 94.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 95.7% | 94.8% | 96.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 97.0% | 96.7% | 97.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near SDG: Eastern Asia
More education data for SDG: Eastern Asia
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 63.20 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.91 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 33.69 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 1.56 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 34.54 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 2.06 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.4947 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 21.53 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 119.59 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.7719 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in SDG: Eastern Asia?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in SDG: Eastern Asia was 97.2% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in SDG: Eastern Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 97.2% in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in SDG: Eastern Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 62.8% in 1976.
- How does SDG: Eastern Asia rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes?
- SDG: Eastern Asia ranks 34th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in SDG: Eastern Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this SDG: Eastern Asia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 49 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release