Literacy rate of young men vs. women in China
China: Literacy rate of young men vs. women was 99.8% in 2020. ▬ Flat
Latest (2020)
99.8%
World rank
13th
of 95 countries
All-time high
99.8%
in 2020
All-time low
95.2%
in 1982
Years of data
5
1982–2020
Literacy rate of young men vs. women in China, 1982–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
China recorded 99.8% for literacy rate of young men vs. women in 2020. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.
The figure is up 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate of young men vs. women in China peaked at 99.8% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 95.2%, in 1982.
China ranks 13th of 95 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Literacy rate of young men vs. women in China, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 95.2% | — |
| 1990 | 97.0% | +1.9% |
| 2000 | 99.2% | +2.3% |
| 2010 | 99.7% | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 99.8% | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 95.2% | 95.2% | 95.2% | 1 |
| 1990s | 97.0% | 97.0% | 97.0% | 1 |
| 2000s | 99.2% | 99.2% | 99.2% | 1 |
| 2010s | 99.7% | 99.7% | 99.7% | 1 |
| 2020s | 99.8% | 99.8% | 99.8% | 1 |
Countries ranked near China
- 11 Mauritius 99.8% compare
- 12 Republic of Moldova 99.8% compare
- 14 Macau, China 99.7% compare
- 15 Serbia 99.7% compare
- 16 Spain 99.7% compare
More education data for China
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 108.57 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.9587 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0771 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 108.57 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.9587 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per capita 0.0771 units per person (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 51.02 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate of young men vs. women in China?
- Literacy rate of young men vs. women in China was 99.8% in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest literacy rate of young men vs. women recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 99.8% in 2020.
- What is the lowest literacy rate of young men vs. women recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 95.2% in 1982.
- How does China rank for literacy rate of young men vs. women?
- China ranks 13th out of 95 countries with data for 2020.
- Is literacy rate of young men vs. women rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Literacy rate of young men vs. women. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Share of men aged 15 to 24 years who can read and write.