Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in China
China: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male was 98.4% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Latest (2020)
98.4%
World rank
21st
of 88 countries
All-time high
98.4%
in 2020
All-time low
79.2%
in 1982
Years of data
5
1982–2020
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in China, 1982–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
China recorded 98.4% for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in 2020. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in China peaked at 98.4% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 79.2%, in 1982.
China ranks 21st of 88 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in China, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 79.2% | — |
| 1990 | 87.0% | +9.9% |
| 2000 | 95.1% | +9.3% |
| 2010 | 97.5% | +2.5% |
| 2020 | 98.4% | +0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 79.2% | 79.2% | 79.2% | 1 |
| 1990s | 87.0% | 87.0% | 87.0% | 1 |
| 2000s | 95.1% | 95.1% | 95.1% | 1 |
| 2010s | 97.5% | 97.5% | 97.5% | 1 |
| 2020s | 98.4% | 98.4% | 98.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near China
- 18 Oman 98.6% compare
- 19 Saudi Arabia 98.6% compare
- 20 Philippines 98.4% compare
- 21 Mongolia 98.4% compare
- 23 Samoa 98.3% compare
- 24 Macau, China 98.2% 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, male in China?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in China was 98.4% in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 98.4% in 2020.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 79.2% in 1982.
- How does China rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male?
- China ranks 21st out of 88 countries with data for 2020.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.9%. 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, male (%). 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