Malaysia vs South Asia: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes over time
- Malaysia
- South Asia
How they compare
Malaysia currently reports 96.6% against 70.0% in South Asia, a difference of 26.6%.
That makes Malaysia's figure about 1.4 times South Asia's.
Across all 7 years both countries report, Malaysia has been ahead every year.
Malaysia ranks 28th and South Asia ranks 28th of 83 countries.
Malaysia has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malaysia | South Asia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 63.4% | 34.5% | 28.9% | Malaysia |
| 1990s | 81.7% | 42.0% | 39.7% | Malaysia |
| 2000s | 89.0% | 53.3% | 35.6% | Malaysia |
| 2010s | 96.0% | 66.7% | 29.3% | Malaysia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes, Malaysia or South Asia?
- Malaysia, at 96.6% against 70.0% in South Asia as of 2018.
- What is the difference in literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes between Malaysia and South Asia?
- 26.6%, with Malaysia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malaysia and South Asia?
- 7 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2018.
- How do Malaysia and South Asia rank globally for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes?
- Malaysia ranks 28th and South Asia ranks 28th 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.