China vs World: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes over time
- China
- World
How they compare
China currently reports 98.4% against 86.5% in World, a difference of 11.9%.
That makes China's figure about 1.1 times World's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 5 shared years of data; in 1982 it was World ahead.
China ranks 15th and World ranks 1st of 83 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, China averaged higher in 3 and World in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | World | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 61.9% | 67.3% | 5.3% | World |
| 1990s | 76.4% | 73.2% | 3.2% | China |
| 2000s | 93.9% | 81.1% | 12.8% | China |
| 2010s | 97.8% | 85.2% | 12.6% | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes, China or World?
- China, at 98.4% against 86.5% in World as of 2018.
- What is the difference in literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes between China and World?
- 11.9%, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and World?
- 5 years are reported by both, from 1982 to 2018.
- How do China and World rank globally for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes?
- China ranks 15th and World ranks 1st of 83 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Percentage of the population between age 25 and age 64 who can, with understanding, read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life. Generally, ‘literacy’ also encompasses ‘numeracy’, the ability to make simple arithmetic calculations. This indicator is calculated by dividing the number of literates aged 25-64 years by the corresponding age group population and multiplying the result by 100.