Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in China

China: Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes was 375,315 number in 2018. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2018)
375,315 number
World rank
23rd
of 86 countries
All-time high
23.68 million number
in 1982
All-time low
375,315 number
in 2018
Years of data
5
1982–2018

Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in China, 1982–2018

05.0M10.0M15.0M20.0M25.0M1982200020181982: 23.7M number1990: 14.6M number2000: 2.3M number2010: 817.7k number2018: 375.3k number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

In 2018, youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in China stood at 375,315 number. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 54.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in China peaked at 23.68 million number in 1982 and was at its lowest, 375,315 number, in 2018.

China ranks 23rd of 86 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in China, year by year

Annual values for Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes (number) in China, 1982 to 2018.
Year number Change
1982 23.68 million number
1990 14.61 million number -38.3%
2000 2.30 million number -84.3%
2010 817,687 number -64.4%
2018 375,315 number -54.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 23.68 million number 23.68 million number 23.68 million number 1
1990s 14.61 million number 14.61 million number 14.61 million number 1
2000s 2.30 million number 2.30 million number 2.30 million number 1
2010s 596,501 number 375,315 number 817,687 number 2

Countries ranked near China

  1. 20 Iraq 487,040 number compare
  2. 21 Nepal 481,015 number compare
  3. 22 South Africa 464,102 number compare
  4. 24 Rwanda 326,906 number compare
  5. 25 Zambia 285,071 number compare
  6. 26 Brazil 269,941 number compare

See the full ranking of 125 places →

More education data for China

All data for China →

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 375,315 number in 2018, 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 23.68 million number in 1982.
What is the lowest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 375,315 number in 2018.
How does China rank for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes?
China ranks 23rd out of 86 countries with data for 2018.
Is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is down 54.1%. 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.

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Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in China. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/youth-illiterate-population-15-24-years-both-sexes-number/china/

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About this data

Indicator
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
125 places, 2,250 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Total number of youth between age 15 and age 24 who cannot both read and write with understanding a short simple statement on their everyday life.