Youth/adult literacy rate in Malaysia
Malaysia: Youth/adult literacy rate was 98.8% in 2022. ▬ Flat
Latest (2022)
98.8%
Change on year
up 2.1%
World rank
25th
of 57 countries
All-time high
98.8%
in 2022
All-time low
96.8%
in 2019
Years of data
7
2000–2022
Youth/adult literacy rate in Malaysia, 2000–2022
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
In 2022, youth/adult literacy rate in Malaysia stood at 98.8%. That is the highest value across all 7 years on record.
The figure is up 2.1% on the previous year and up 0.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, youth/adult literacy rate in Malaysia peaked at 98.8% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 96.8%, in 2019.
That places Malaysia 25th out of 57 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
Youth/adult literacy rate in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 97.2% | — |
| 2010 | 98.4% | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 97.6% | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 97.3% | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 96.8% | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 96.8% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 98.8% | +2.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 97.2% | 97.2% | 97.2% | 1 |
| 2010s | 97.4% | 96.8% | 98.4% | 5 |
| 2020s | 98.8% | 98.8% | 98.8% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More education data for Malaysia
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.06 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.2 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0859 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 3.06 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -1.2 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per capita 0.0859 units per person (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.48 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is youth/adult literacy rate in Malaysia?
- Youth/adult literacy rate in Malaysia was 98.8% in 2022, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest youth/adult literacy rate recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 98.8% in 2022.
- What is the lowest youth/adult literacy rate recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 96.8% in 2019.
- How does Malaysia rank for youth/adult literacy rate?
- Malaysia ranks 25th out of 57 countries with data for 2022.
- Is youth/adult literacy rate rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Youth/adult literacy rate (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 7 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).