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

China: Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male was 217,819 in 2020. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2020)
217,819
World rank
12th
of 58 countries
All-time high
5.02 million
in 1982
All-time low
217,819
in 2020
Years of data
5
1982–2020

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

01.0M2.0M3.0M4.0M5.0M1982200120201982: 5.0M1990: 3.9M2000: 833.4k2010: 368.6k2020: 217.8k

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

China recorded 217,819 for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.

That represents a change of down 40.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male in China peaked at 5.02 million in 1982 and was at its lowest, 217,819, in 2020.

China ranks 12th of 58 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

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

Annual values for Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male (number) in China, 1982 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1982 5.02 million
1990 3.93 million -21.8%
2000 833,368 -78.8%
2010 368,550 -55.8%
2020 217,819 -40.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 5.02 million 5.02 million 5.02 million 1
1990s 3.93 million 3.93 million 3.93 million 1
2000s 833,368 833,368 833,368 1
2010s 368,550 368,550 368,550 1
2020s 217,819 217,819 217,819 1

Countries ranked near China

  1. 9 Guinea 401,791 compare
  2. 10 Senegal 369,308 compare
  3. 11 Morocco 223,388 compare
  4. 13 Iraq 201,316 compare
  5. 14 South Africa 192,649 compare
  6. 15 Brazil 173,498 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, male in China?
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male in China was 217,819 in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 5.02 million in 1982.
What is the lowest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 217,819 in 2020.
How does China rank for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male?
China ranks 12th out of 58 countries with data for 2020.
Is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is down 40.9%. 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, male (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male in China. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/youth-illiterate-population-15-24-years-male-number-2/china/

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About this data

Indicator
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, male (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
262 places, 8,089 data points, 1970–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release