Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female in China

China: Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female was 179,659 in 2020. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2020)
179,659
World rank
13th
of 58 countries
All-time high
17.91 million
in 1982
All-time low
179,659
in 2020
Years of data
5
1982–2020

Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female in China, 1982–2020

05.0M10.0M15.0M20.0M1982200120201982: 17.9M1990: 10.6M2000: 1.5M2010: 437.3k2020: 179.7k

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

In 2020, youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female in China stood at 179,659. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.

That represents a change of down 58.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female in China peaked at 17.91 million in 1982 and was at its lowest, 179,659, in 2020.

China ranks 13th of 58 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

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

Annual values for Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female (number) in China, 1982 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1982 17.91 million
1990 10.57 million -41.0%
2000 1.46 million -86.2%
2010 437,317 -70.1%
2020 179,659 -58.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 17.91 million 17.91 million 17.91 million 1
1990s 10.57 million 10.57 million 10.57 million 1
2000s 1.46 million 1.46 million 1.46 million 1
2010s 437,317 437,317 437,317 1
2020s 179,659 179,659 179,659 1

Countries ranked near China

  1. 10 Senegal 547,809 compare
  2. 11 Morocco 445,427 compare
  3. 12 Iraq 300,443 compare
  4. 14 Burundi 142,250 compare
  5. 15 Iran, Islamic Republic of 131,849 compare
  6. 16 Togo 125,267 compare

See the full ranking of 262 places →

More education data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female in China?
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female in China was 179,659 in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 17.91 million in 1982.
What is the lowest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 179,659 in 2020.
How does China rank for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female?
China ranks 13th out of 58 countries with data for 2020.
Is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is down 58.9%. 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, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female in China. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/youth-illiterate-population-15-24-years-female-number-2/china/

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About this data

Indicator
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, female (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
262 places, 8,109 data points, 1970–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release