Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, rural, both sexes in Malaysia

Malaysia: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, rural, both sexes was 94.1% in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
94.1%
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
20th
of 53 countries
All-time high
94.1%
in 2022
All-time low
73.6%
in 1991
Years of data
8
1991–2022

Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, rural, both sexes in Malaysia, 1991–2022

0204060801001991200620221991: 73.6 %2000: 81.2 %2010: 90.6 %2016: 92.4 %2017: 93.4 %2018: 93.7 %2019: 93.8 %2022: 94.1 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2022, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, rural, both sexes in Malaysia stood at 94.1%. That is the highest value across all 8 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 3.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, rural, both sexes in Malaysia peaked at 94.1% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 73.6%, in 1991.

Malaysia ranks 20th of 53 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, rural, both sexes in Malaysia, year by year

Annual values for Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, rural, both sexes (%) in Malaysia, 1991 to 2022.
Year % Change
1991 73.6%
2000 81.2% +10.3%
2010 90.6% +11.5%
2016 92.4% +2.0%
2017 93.4% +1.0%
2018 93.7% +0.4%
2019 93.8% +0.1%
2022 94.1% +0.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 73.6% 73.6% 73.6% 1
2000s 81.2% 81.2% 81.2% 1
2010s 92.8% 90.6% 93.8% 5
2020s 94.1% 94.1% 94.1% 1

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 17 Indonesia 94.8% compare
  2. 18 Jordan 94.6% compare
  3. 19 Paraguay 94.3% compare
  4. 21 Sri Lanka 93.9% compare
  5. 22 Mexico 91.3% compare
  6. 23 Panama 90.7% compare

See the full ranking of 53 places →

More education data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, rural, both sexes in Malaysia?
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, rural, both sexes in Malaysia was 94.1% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, rural, both sexes recorded in Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 94.1% in 2022.
What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, rural, both sexes recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 73.6% in 1991.
How does Malaysia rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, rural, both sexes?
Malaysia ranks 20th out of 53 countries with data for 2022.
Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, rural, both sexes rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is up 3.9%. 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, rural, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, rural, both sexes in Malaysia. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-population-25-64-years-rural-both-sexes-percent-2/malaysia/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, rural, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
53 places, 617 data points, 1976–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release