Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Cambodia
Cambodia: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes was 71.7% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Cambodia, 1998–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Cambodia is 71.7%, measured in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 11.6% on the previous year and down 2.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Cambodia peaked at 87.0% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 66.3%, in 1998.
That places Cambodia 64th out of 87 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 10 years of available data.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Cambodia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 66.3% | — |
| 2004 | 71.5% | +7.9% |
| 2008 | 74.5% | +4.2% |
| 2009 | 73.3% | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 77.3% | +5.4% |
| 2014 | 75.2% | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 77.9% | +3.6% |
| 2019 | 87.0% | +11.6% |
| 2020 | 81.2% | -6.7% |
| 2021 | 71.7% | -11.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 66.3% | 66.3% | 66.3% | 1 |
| 2000s | 73.1% | 71.5% | 74.5% | 3 |
| 2010s | 79.3% | 75.2% | 87.0% | 4 |
| 2020s | 76.5% | 71.7% | 81.2% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Cambodia
More education data for Cambodia
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 124,310 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 199,569 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 201,390 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.17 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.27 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 3.07 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1285 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Cambodia?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Cambodia was 71.7% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in Cambodia?
- The highest recorded value was 87.0% in 2019.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in Cambodia?
- The lowest recorded value was 66.3% in 1998.
- How does Cambodia rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes?
- Cambodia ranks 64th out of 87 countries with data for 2021.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes rising or falling in Cambodia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Cambodia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release