Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, male in China

China: Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, male was 99.8% in 2020. ▬ Flat

Latest (2020)
99.8%
World rank
13th
of 95 countries
All-time high
99.8%
in 2020
All-time low
95.2%
in 1982
Years of data
5
1982–2020

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

0204060801001982200120201982: 95.2 %1990: 97 %2000: 99.2 %2010: 99.7 %2020: 99.8 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2020, youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, male in China stood at 99.8%. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, male in China peaked at 99.8% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 95.2%, in 1982.

That places China 13th out of 95 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.

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

Annual values for Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, male (%) in China, 1982 to 2020.
Year % Change
1982 95.2%
1990 97.0% +1.9%
2000 99.2% +2.3%
2010 99.7% +0.5%
2020 99.8% +0.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 95.2% 95.2% 95.2% 1
1990s 97.0% 97.0% 97.0% 1
2000s 99.2% 99.2% 99.2% 1
2010s 99.7% 99.7% 99.7% 1
2020s 99.8% 99.8% 99.8% 1

Countries ranked near China

  1. 11 Mauritius 99.8% compare
  2. 12 Republic of Moldova 99.8% compare
  3. 14 Macau, China 99.7% compare
  4. 15 Serbia 99.7% compare
  5. 16 Spain 99.7% compare

See the full ranking of 299 places →

More education data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, male in China?
Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, male in China was 99.8% in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, male recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 99.8% in 2020.
What is the lowest youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, male recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 95.2% in 1982.
How does China rank for youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, male?
China ranks 13th out of 95 countries with data for 2020.
Is youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, male rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this China data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, male in China. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 07 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/youth-literacy-rate-population-15-24-years-male-percent/china/

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About this data

Indicator
Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, male (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
299 places, 9,726 data points, 1970–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release