Literacy levels among young people, adjusted gender parity index in China
China: Literacy levels among young people, adjusted gender parity index was 1 index in 2020. ▲ Rising
Latest (2020)
1 index
World rank
23rd
of 96 countries
All-time high
1 index
in 2010
All-time low
0.86 index
in 1982
Years of data
5
1982–2020
Literacy levels among young people, adjusted gender parity index in China, 1982–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in index.
Analysis
In 2020, literacy levels among young people, adjusted gender parity index in China stood at 1 index. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy levels among young people, adjusted gender parity index in China peaked at 1 index in 2010 and was at its lowest, 0.86 index, in 1982.
That places China 23rd out of 96 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.
Literacy levels among young people, adjusted gender parity index in China, year by year
| Year | index | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 0.86 index | — |
| 1990 | 0.94 index | +9.3% |
| 2000 | 0.99 index | +5.3% |
| 2010 | 1 index | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 1 index | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.86 index | 0.86 index | 0.86 index | 1 |
| 1990s | 0.94 index | 0.94 index | 0.94 index | 1 |
| 2000s | 0.99 index | 0.99 index | 0.99 index | 1 |
| 2010s | 1 index | 1 index | 1 index | 1 |
| 2020s | 1 index | 1 index | 1 index | 1 |
Countries ranked near China
- 20 Burundi 1 index compare
- 21 Mauritius 1 index compare
- 22 Myanmar 1 index compare
- 23 Albania 1 index compare
- 23 Armenia 1 index compare
- 23 Azerbaijan 1 index compare
- 23 Bahrain 1 index compare
- 23 Belarus 1 index compare
- 23 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 1 index compare
- 23 Brazil 1 index compare
- 23 Cape Verde 1 index compare
- 23 Ecuador 1 index compare
- 23 Eswatini 1 index compare
- 23 Georgia 1 index compare
- 23 Jordan 1 index compare
- 23 Kuwait 1 index compare
- 23 Macau, China 1 index compare
- 23 Maldives 1 index compare
- 23 Mexico 1 index compare
- 23 Republic of Moldova 1 index compare
- 23 Nigeria 1 index compare
- 23 Oman 1 index compare
- 23 Paraguay 1 index compare
- 23 Peru 1 index compare
- 23 Qatar 1 index compare
- 23 Saudi Arabia 1 index compare
- 23 Serbia 1 index compare
- 23 Singapore 1 index compare
- 23 Spain 1 index compare
- 23 Sri Lanka 1 index compare
- 23 Thailand 1 index compare
- 23 Tonga 1 index compare
- 23 Tunisia 1 index compare
- 23 United Arab Emirates 1 index compare
- 23 Uruguay 1 index compare
- 23 Uzbekistan 1 index compare
- 23 Viet Nam 1 index 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 levels among young people, adjusted gender parity index in China?
- Literacy levels among young people, adjusted gender parity index in China was 1 index in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest literacy levels among young people, adjusted gender parity index recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 1 index in 2010.
- What is the lowest literacy levels among young people, adjusted gender parity index recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.86 index in 1982.
- How does China rank for literacy levels among young people, adjusted gender parity index?
- China ranks 23rd out of 96 countries with data for 2020.
- Is literacy levels among young people, adjusted gender parity index rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China 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 levels among young people, adjusted gender parity index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
An adjusted gender parity index of 1 indicates equal basic literacy rates among young men and women aged 15–24. Values below 1 favor young men, and above 1 favor young women.