Literacy rates among adults in Macao
Macao: Literacy rates among adults was 96.5% in 2016. ▲ Rising
Literacy rates among adults in Macao, 1981–2016
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for literacy rates among adults in Macao is 96.5%, measured in 2016. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.
That represents a change of up 3.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rates among adults in Macao peaked at 96.5% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 90.4%, in 1981.
Macao ranks 27th of 89 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 90.4% | 90.4% | 90.4% | 1 |
| 2000s | 92.4% | 91.3% | 93.5% | 2 |
| 2010s | 96.1% | 95.6% | 96.5% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Macao
More education data for Macao
- Duration of pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 71.2% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 13.7% (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 89.8% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 2,896 (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 0.676 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 89.9% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rates among adults in Macao?
- Literacy rates among adults in Macao was 96.5% in 2016, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest literacy rates among adults recorded in Macao?
- The highest recorded value was 96.5% in 2016.
- What is the lowest literacy rates among adults recorded in Macao?
- The lowest recorded value was 90.4% in 1981.
- How does Macao rank for literacy rates among adults?
- Macao ranks 27th out of 89 countries with data for 2016.
- Is literacy rates among adults rising or falling in Macao?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Macao data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Literacy rates among adults. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the population aged 15 years and older who can read and write.