Literacy rate, adult male in Malaysia
Malaysia: Literacy rate, adult male was 96.8% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, adult male in Malaysia, 1980–2022
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of males ages 15 and above.
Analysis
In 2022, literacy rate, adult male in Malaysia stood at 96.8%. That is the highest value across all 9 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.6% on the previous year and up 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult male in Malaysia peaked at 96.8% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 78.2%, in 1980.
Malaysia ranks 33rd of 88 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Literacy rate, adult male in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | % of males ages 15 and above | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 78.2% | — |
| 1991 | 88.6% | +13.3% |
| 2000 | 92.0% | +3.9% |
| 2010 | 95.4% | +3.8% |
| 2016 | 96.3% | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 96.5% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 96.1% | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 96.2% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 96.8% | +0.6% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 96.8% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 96.8%, 1.0× the median. (33 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 96.8% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 97.5%, 99% of the median. (15 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 78.2% | 78.2% | 78.2% | 1 |
| 1990s | 88.6% | 88.6% | 88.6% | 1 |
| 2000s | 92.0% | 92.0% | 92.0% | 1 |
| 2010s | 96.1% | 95.4% | 96.5% | 5 |
| 2020s | 96.8% | 96.8% | 96.8% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More education data for Malaysia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 217,105 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 475,967 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 460,041 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.64 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.06 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.2 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0859 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, adult male in Malaysia?
- Literacy rate, adult male in Malaysia was 96.8% in 2022, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, adult male recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 96.8% in 2022.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, adult male recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 78.2% in 1980.
- How does Malaysia rank for literacy rate, adult male?
- Malaysia ranks 33rd out of 88 countries with data for 2022.
- Is literacy rate, adult male rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Literacy rate, adult male (% of males ages 15 and above). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.