Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in China
China: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes was 98.4% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Latest (2020)
98.4%
World rank
22nd
of 87 countries
All-time high
98.4%
in 2020
All-time low
62.0%
in 1982
Years of data
5
1982–2020
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in China, 1982–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in China stood at 98.4%. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in China peaked at 98.4% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 62.0%, in 1982.
China ranks 22nd of 87 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in China, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 62.0% | — |
| 1990 | 76.3% | +23.2% |
| 2000 | 93.9% | +22.9% |
| 2010 | 97.1% | +3.4% |
| 2020 | 98.4% | +1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 62.0% | 62.0% | 62.0% | 1 |
| 1990s | 76.3% | 76.3% | 76.3% | 1 |
| 2000s | 93.9% | 93.9% | 93.9% | 1 |
| 2010s | 97.1% | 97.1% | 97.1% | 1 |
| 2020s | 98.4% | 98.4% | 98.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near China
More education data for China
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 19.36 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 97.98 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in China?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in China was 98.4% in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 98.4% in 2020.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 62.0% in 1982.
- How does China rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes?
- China ranks 22nd out of 87 countries with data for 2020.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release