Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes in Singapore
Singapore: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes was 97.7% in 2021. ▬ Flat
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes in Singapore, 2010–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2021, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes in Singapore stood at 97.7%. That is the highest value across all 11 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.5% on the previous year and up 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes in Singapore peaked at 97.7% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 95.9%, in 2010.
That places Singapore 19th out of 57 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes in Singapore, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 95.9% | — |
| 2011 | 96.2% | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 96.4% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 96.5% | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 96.7% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 96.8% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 97.0% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 97.2% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 97.3% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 97.1% | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 97.7% | +0.5% |
Singapore compared with similar countries
- Singapore's 97.7% is below the median for high income countries, which is 98.2%, 99% of the median. (9 countries reporting)
- Singapore's 97.7% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 97.7%, 100% of the median. (8 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 96.7% | 95.9% | 97.3% | 9 |
| 2020s | 97.4% | 97.1% | 97.7% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Singapore
More education data for Singapore
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 13,601 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 336 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 9,429 (1989)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 8,429 (1989)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 163,746 (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 238,816 (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.4 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0404 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes in Singapore?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes in Singapore was 97.7% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes recorded in Singapore?
- The highest recorded value was 97.7% in 2021.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes recorded in Singapore?
- The lowest recorded value was 95.9% in 2010.
- How does Singapore rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes?
- Singapore ranks 19th out of 57 countries with data for 2021.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes rising or falling in Singapore?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Singapore data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 11 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release