Literacy rate, adult total in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)
East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries): Literacy rate, adult total was 96.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, adult total in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries), 1976–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of people ages 15 and above.
Analysis
The most recent figure for literacy rate, adult total in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) is 96.8%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 49 years on record.
The figure is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult total in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 96.8% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 63.4%, in 1976.
East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 8th of 39 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 49 years of available data.
Literacy rate, adult total in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | % of people ages 15 and above | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 63.4% | — |
| 1977 | 63.5% | +0.3% |
| 1978 | 64.7% | +1.9% |
| 1979 | 66.1% | +2.1% |
| 1980 | 67.3% | +1.8% |
| 1981 | 68.5% | +1.7% |
| 1982 | 69.5% | +1.6% |
| 1983 | 70.6% | +1.5% |
| 1984 | 71.7% | +1.5% |
| 1985 | 72.7% | +1.5% |
| 1986 | 73.6% | +1.3% |
| 1987 | 74.9% | +1.7% |
| 1988 | 79.1% | +5.7% |
| 1989 | 79.8% | +0.9% |
| 1990 | 80.5% | +0.8% |
| 1991 | 81.0% | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 81.6% | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 82.1% | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 82.6% | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 83.2% | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 83.7% | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 89.4% | +6.8% |
| 1998 | 89.7% | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 90.0% | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 90.4% | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 90.8% | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 91.1% | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 91.5% | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 91.8% | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 92.1% | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 92.5% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 93.7% | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 94.0% | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 94.3% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 94.3% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 94.6% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 94.8% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 94.9% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 95.3% | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 95.5% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 95.7% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 95.9% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 95.9% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 96.0% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 96.3% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 96.4% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 96.5% | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 96.7% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 96.8% | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 64.4% | 63.4% | 66.1% | 4 |
| 1980s | 72.8% | 67.3% | 79.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 84.4% | 80.5% | 90.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 92.2% | 90.4% | 94.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 95.3% | 94.3% | 96.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 96.5% | 96.3% | 96.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)
More education data for East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 159.24 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 177.79 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.5719 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0841 units per person (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 69.1% (2025)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 10.06 million (2024)
- Population ages 0-14 18.2% (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, adult total in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Literacy rate, adult total in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) was 96.8% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, adult total recorded in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 96.8% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, adult total recorded in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 63.4% in 1976.
- How does East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for literacy rate, adult total?
- East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 8th out of 39 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, adult total rising or falling in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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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.