Literacy rate, youth total in Singapore

Singapore: Literacy rate, youth total was 99.9% in 2021. ▬ Flat

Latest (2021)
99.9%
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
2nd
of 95 countries
All-time high
99.9%
in 2016
All-time low
96.3%
in 1980
Years of data
15
1980–2021

Literacy rate, youth total in Singapore, 1980–2021

0204060801001980200020211980: 96.3 % of people ages 15-241990: 99 % of people ages 15-242000: 99.5 % of people ages 15-242010: 99.8 % of people ages 15-242011: 99.9 % of people ages 15-242012: 99.9 % of people ages 15-242013: 99.9 % of people ages 15-242014: 99.9 % of people ages 15-242015: 99.8 % of people ages 15-242016: 99.9 % of people ages 15-242017: 99.9 % of people ages 15-242018: 99.9 % of people ages 15-242019: 99.9 % of people ages 15-242020: 99.7 % of people ages 15-242021: 99.9 % of people ages 15-24

Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of people ages 15-24.

Analysis

Singapore recorded 99.9% for literacy rate, youth total in 2021.

That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and unchanged over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, youth total in Singapore peaked at 99.9% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 96.3%, in 1980.

That places Singapore 2nd out of 95 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.

Literacy rate, youth total in Singapore, year by year

Annual values for Literacy rate, youth total (% of people ages 15-24) in Singapore, 1980 to 2021.
Year % of people ages 15-24 Change
1980 96.3%
1990 99.0% +2.8%
2000 99.5% +0.5%
2010 99.8% +0.3%
2011 99.9% +0.1%
2012 99.9% +0.0%
2013 99.9% +0.0%
2014 99.9% +0.0%
2015 99.8% -0.1%
2016 99.9% +0.2%
2017 99.9% +0.0%
2018 99.9% +0.0%
2019 99.9% +0.0%
2020 99.7% -0.2%
2021 99.9% +0.2%

Singapore compared with similar countries

  • Singapore's 99.9% is above the median for high income countries, which is 99.6%, 1.0× the median. (12 countries reporting)
  • Singapore's 99.9% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 99.0%, 1.0× the median. (15 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 96.3% 96.3% 96.3% 1
1990s 99.0% 99.0% 99.0% 1
2000s 99.5% 99.5% 99.5% 1
2010s 99.9% 99.8% 99.9% 10
2020s 99.8% 99.7% 99.9% 2

Countries ranked near Singapore

  1. 1 Uzbekistan 100.0% compare
  2. 2 Armenia 99.9% compare
  3. 2 Saudi Arabia 99.9% compare
  4. 5 Azerbaijan 99.9% compare

See the full ranking of 135 places →

More education data for Singapore

All data for Singapore →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate, youth total in Singapore?
Literacy rate, youth total in Singapore was 99.9% in 2021, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest literacy rate, youth total recorded in Singapore?
The highest recorded value was 99.9% in 2016.
What is the lowest literacy rate, youth total recorded in Singapore?
The lowest recorded value was 96.3% in 1980.
How does Singapore rank for literacy rate, youth total?
Singapore ranks 2nd out of 95 countries with data for 2021.
Is literacy rate, youth total rising or falling in Singapore?
Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Singapore data come from?
The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Literacy rate, youth total (% of people ages 15-24). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Literacy rate, youth total in Singapore. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-youth-total-percent-of-people-ages-15-24/singapore/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, youth total (% of people ages 15-24)
Unit
% of people ages 15-24
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
135 places, 2,762 data points, 1974–2024
Last refreshed

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.