Literacy rate, adult total in Macau, China

Macau, China: Literacy rate, adult total was 96.5% in 2016. ▲ Rising

Latest (2016)
96.5%
World rank
27th
of 89 countries
All-time high
96.5%
in 2016
All-time low
90.4%
in 1981
Years of data
5
1981–2016

Literacy rate, adult total in Macau, China, 1981–2016

0204060801001981199820161981: 90.4 % of people ages 15 and above2001: 91.3 % of people ages 15 and above2006: 93.5 % of people ages 15 and above2011: 95.6 % of people ages 15 and above2016: 96.5 % of people ages 15 and above

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 Macau, China is 96.5%, measured in 2016. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.

That represents a change of up 3.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult total in Macau, China peaked at 96.5% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 90.4%, in 1981.

That places Macau, China 27th out of 89 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the middle of the range.

Literacy rate, adult total in Macau, China, year by year

Annual values for Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) in Macau, China, 1981 to 2016.
Year % of people ages 15 and above Change
1981 90.4%
2001 91.3% +1.0%
2006 93.5% +2.4%
2011 95.6% +2.3%
2016 96.5% +0.9%

Macau, China compared with similar countries

  • Macau, China's 96.5% is below the median for high income countries, which is 97.7%, 99% of the median. (12 countries reporting)
  • Macau, China's 96.5% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 96.1%, 1.0× the median. (16 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 90.4% 90.4% 90.4% 1
2000s 92.4% 91.3% 93.5% 2
2010s 96.1% 95.6% 96.5% 2

Countries ranked near Macau, China

  1. 24 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 97.2% compare
  2. 25 China 96.7% compare
  3. 26 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 96.7% compare
  4. 28 Kuwait 96.5% compare
  5. 29 Chile 96.4% compare
  6. 30 Panama 96.2% compare

See the full ranking of 128 places →

More education data for Macau, China

All data for Macau, China →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate, adult total in Macau, China?
Literacy rate, adult total in Macau, China was 96.5% in 2016, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest literacy rate, adult total recorded in Macau, China?
The highest recorded value was 96.5% in 2016.
What is the lowest literacy rate, adult total recorded in Macau, China?
The lowest recorded value was 90.4% in 1981.
How does Macau, China rank for literacy rate, adult total?
Macau, China ranks 27th out of 89 countries with data for 2016.
Is literacy rate, adult total rising or falling in Macau, China?
Over the last ten years it is up 3.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Macau, China 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.

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Literacy rate, adult total in Macau, China. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-adult-total-percent-of-people-ages-15-and-above/macao-sar-china/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above)
Unit
% of people ages 15 and above
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
128 places, 2,592 data points, 1973–2024
Last refreshed

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.