Literacy rate, youth male in China
China: Literacy rate, youth male was 99.8% in 2020. ▬ Flat
Literacy rate, youth male in China, 1982–2020
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of males ages 15-24.
Analysis
In 2020, literacy rate, youth male in China stood at 99.8%. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, youth male in China peaked at 99.8% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 95.2%, in 1982.
China ranks 13th of 95 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Literacy rate, youth male in China, year by year
| Year | % of males ages 15-24 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 95.2% | — |
| 1990 | 97.0% | +1.9% |
| 2000 | 99.2% | +2.3% |
| 2010 | 99.7% | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 99.8% | +0.1% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 99.8% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 98.8%, 1.0× the median. (36 countries reporting)
- China's 99.8% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 99.0%, 1.0× the median. (15 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 95.2% | 95.2% | 95.2% | 1 |
| 1990s | 97.0% | 97.0% | 97.0% | 1 |
| 2000s | 99.2% | 99.2% | 99.2% | 1 |
| 2010s | 99.7% | 99.7% | 99.7% | 1 |
| 2020s | 99.8% | 99.8% | 99.8% | 1 |
Countries ranked near China
- 11 Mauritius 99.8% compare
- 12 Republic of Moldova 99.8% compare
- 14 Macau, China 99.7% compare
- 15 Serbia 99.7% compare
- 16 Spain 99.7% compare
More education data for China
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7.41 million (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 7,020 (2021)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 21.58 million (2024)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, youth male in China?
- Literacy rate, youth male in China was 99.8% in 2020, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, youth male recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 99.8% in 2020.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, youth male recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 95.2% in 1982.
- How does China rank for literacy rate, youth male?
- China ranks 13th out of 95 countries with data for 2020.
- Is literacy rate, youth male rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Literacy rate, youth male (% of males ages 15-24). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Youth literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15-24 who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.