Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in SDG: Eastern Asia
SDG: Eastern Asia: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes was 98.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in SDG: Eastern Asia, 1976–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in SDG: Eastern Asia stood at 98.6%. That is the highest value across all 49 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 1.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in SDG: Eastern Asia peaked at 98.6% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 58.6%, in 1977.
That places SDG: Eastern Asia 31st out of 203 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 49 years of available data.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in SDG: Eastern Asia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 58.6% | — |
| 1977 | 58.6% | -0.0% |
| 1978 | 59.8% | +2.0% |
| 1979 | 61.0% | +2.0% |
| 1980 | 62.2% | +1.9% |
| 1981 | 63.3% | +1.9% |
| 1982 | 64.5% | +1.8% |
| 1983 | 65.7% | +1.9% |
| 1984 | 66.9% | +1.8% |
| 1985 | 67.9% | +1.6% |
| 1986 | 69.0% | +1.5% |
| 1987 | 70.0% | +1.6% |
| 1988 | 75.9% | +8.4% |
| 1989 | 77.2% | +1.7% |
| 1990 | 78.4% | +1.5% |
| 1991 | 79.5% | +1.4% |
| 1992 | 80.5% | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 81.5% | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 82.5% | +1.3% |
| 1995 | 83.5% | +1.2% |
| 1996 | 84.4% | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 90.8% | +7.7% |
| 1998 | 91.5% | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 92.1% | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 92.7% | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 93.2% | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 93.7% | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 94.2% | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 94.7% | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 95.1% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 95.4% | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 96.0% | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 96.3% | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 96.5% | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 96.6% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 96.8% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 97.0% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 97.2% | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 97.5% | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 97.7% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 97.8% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 97.7% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 97.9% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 98.0% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 98.2% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 98.3% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 98.4% | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 98.5% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 98.6% | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 59.5% | 58.6% | 61.0% | 4 |
| 1980s | 68.3% | 62.2% | 77.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 84.5% | 78.4% | 92.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 94.8% | 92.7% | 96.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 97.4% | 96.6% | 98.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 98.4% | 98.2% | 98.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near SDG: Eastern Asia
More education data for SDG: Eastern Asia
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 63.20 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 33.69 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 1.56 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 34.54 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 2.06 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 1.55 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 109.86 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.4947 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.7719 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 21.53 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in SDG: Eastern Asia?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in SDG: Eastern Asia was 98.6% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in SDG: Eastern Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 98.6% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in SDG: Eastern Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 58.6% in 1977.
- How does SDG: Eastern Asia rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes?
- SDG: Eastern Asia ranks 31st out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes rising or falling in SDG: Eastern Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this SDG: Eastern Asia 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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About this data
February 2026 Data Release