Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in China
China: Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes was 397,478 in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2020)
397,478
World rank
13th
of 58 countries
All-time high
22.93 million
in 1982
All-time low
397,478
in 2020
Years of data
5
1982–2020
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in China, 1982–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
China recorded 397,478 for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.
That represents a change of down 50.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in China peaked at 22.93 million in 1982 and was at its lowest, 397,478, in 2020.
China ranks 13th of 58 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in China, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 22.93 million | — |
| 1990 | 14.50 million | -36.8% |
| 2000 | 2.30 million | -84.2% |
| 2010 | 805,867 | -64.9% |
| 2020 | 397,478 | -50.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 22.93 million | 22.93 million | 22.93 million | 1 |
| 1990s | 14.50 million | 14.50 million | 14.50 million | 1 |
| 2000s | 2.30 million | 2.30 million | 2.30 million | 1 |
| 2010s | 805,867 | 805,867 | 805,867 | 1 |
| 2020s | 397,478 | 397,478 | 397,478 | 1 |
Countries ranked near China
More education data for China
- 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)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 108.57 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.9587 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in China?
- Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in China was 397,478 in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 22.93 million in 1982.
- What is the lowest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 397,478 in 2020.
- How does China rank for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes?
- China ranks 13th out of 58 countries with data for 2020.
- Is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 50.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release