Literacy rate, adult total in Singapore
Singapore: Literacy rate, adult total was 97.7% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, adult total in Singapore, 1980–2021
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of people ages 15 and above.
Analysis
In 2021, literacy rate, adult total in Singapore stood at 97.7%. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult total in Singapore peaked at 97.7% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 82.9%, in 1980.
That places Singapore 21st out of 89 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Literacy rate, adult total in Singapore, year by year
| Year | % of people ages 15 and above | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 82.9% | — |
| 1990 | 89.1% | +7.5% |
| 2000 | 92.5% | +3.9% |
| 2010 | 95.9% | +3.6% |
| 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% |
| 2019 | 97.5% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 97.1% | -0.4% |
| 2021 | 97.7% | +0.5% |
Singapore compared with similar countries
- Singapore's 97.7% is below the median for high income countries, which is 97.7%, 100% of the median. (12 countries reporting)
- Singapore's 97.7% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 96.1%, 1.0× the median. (16 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 82.9% | 82.9% | 82.9% | 1 |
| 1990s | 89.1% | 89.1% | 89.1% | 1 |
| 2000s | 92.5% | 92.5% | 92.5% | 1 |
| 2010s | 96.8% | 95.9% | 97.5% | 10 |
| 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 literacy rate, adult total in Singapore?
- Literacy rate, adult total in Singapore was 97.7% in 2021, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, adult total recorded in Singapore?
- The highest recorded value was 97.7% in 2021.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, adult total recorded in Singapore?
- The lowest recorded value was 82.9% in 1980.
- How does Singapore rank for literacy rate, adult total?
- Singapore ranks 21st out of 89 countries with data for 2021.
- Is literacy rate, adult total rising or falling in Singapore?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Singapore 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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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.