Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Malaysia

Malaysia: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female was 96.5% in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
96.5%
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
31st
of 88 countries
All-time high
96.5%
in 2022
All-time low
51.6%
in 1980
Years of data
9
1980–2022

Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Malaysia, 1980–2022

0204060801001980200120221980: 51.6 %1991: 74.9 %2000: 85.5 %2010: 92.8 %2016: 95.4 %2017: 95.9 %2018: 96 %2019: 96 %2022: 96.5 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

Malaysia recorded 96.5% for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in 2022. That is the highest value across all 9 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 4.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Malaysia peaked at 96.5% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 51.6%, in 1980.

That places Malaysia 31st out of 88 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.

Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Malaysia, year by year

Annual values for Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%) in Malaysia, 1980 to 2022.
Year % Change
1980 51.6%
1991 74.9% +45.2%
2000 85.5% +14.1%
2010 92.8% +8.6%
2016 95.4% +2.8%
2017 95.9% +0.5%
2018 96.0% +0.1%
2019 96.0% +0.0%
2022 96.5% +0.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 51.6% 51.6% 51.6% 1
1990s 74.9% 74.9% 74.9% 1
2000s 85.5% 85.5% 85.5% 1
2010s 95.2% 92.8% 96.0% 5
2020s 96.5% 96.5% 96.5% 1

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 28 Oman 96.9% compare
  2. 29 Brazil 96.6% compare
  3. 30 Panama 96.6% compare
  4. 32 Saudi Arabia 96.4% compare
  5. 33 Paraguay 96.3% compare
  6. 34 Kuwait 96.2% compare

See the full ranking of 291 places →

More education data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Malaysia?
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Malaysia was 96.5% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 96.5% in 2022.
What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 51.6% in 1980.
How does Malaysia rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female?
Malaysia ranks 31st out of 88 countries with data for 2022.
Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is up 4.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Malaysia data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Malaysia. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-population-25-64-years-female-percent-2/malaysia/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
291 places, 9,624 data points, 1970–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release