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

Malaysia: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male was 97.0% in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
97.0%
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
34th
of 88 countries
All-time high
97.4%
in 2017
All-time low
75.6%
in 1980
Years of data
9
1980–2022

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

0204060801001980200120221980: 75.6 %1991: 88.3 %2000: 92.3 %2010: 96.2 %2016: 97.2 %2017: 97.4 %2018: 97.2 %2019: 97.2 %2022: 97 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2022, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Malaysia stood at 97.0%.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and up 0.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Malaysia peaked at 97.4% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 75.6%, in 1980.

That places Malaysia 34th out of 88 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

Annual values for Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male (%) in Malaysia, 1980 to 2022.
Year % Change
1980 75.6%
1991 88.3% +16.8%
2000 92.3% +4.5%
2010 96.2% +4.2%
2016 97.2% +1.0%
2017 97.4% +0.2%
2018 97.2% -0.3%
2019 97.2% +0.1%
2022 97.0% -0.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 75.6% 75.6% 75.6% 1
1990s 88.3% 88.3% 88.3% 1
2000s 92.3% 92.3% 92.3% 1
2010s 97.0% 96.2% 97.4% 5
2020s 97.0% 97.0% 97.0% 1

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 31 Peru 97.5% compare
  2. 32 Vietnam 97.1% compare
  3. 33 Mexico 97.0% compare
  4. 35 Kuwait 96.9% compare
  5. 36 Jordan 96.7% compare
  6. 37 Paraguay 96.5% 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, male in Malaysia?
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Malaysia was 97.0% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male recorded in Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 97.4% in 2017.
What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 75.6% in 1980.
How does Malaysia rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male?
Malaysia ranks 34th out of 88 countries with data for 2022.
Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.8%. 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, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in Malaysia. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-population-25-64-years-male-percent-2/malaysia/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
291 places, 9,602 data points, 1970–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release