China vs Low & middle income: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female

China
97.7%
in 2018
Low & middle income
79.9%
in 2019
China rank
22nd
Low & middle income rank
19th

Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female over time

  • China
  • Low & middle income
020406080100197519972019

How they compare

China currently reports 97.7% against 79.9% in Low & middle income, a difference of 17.8%.

That makes China's figure about 1.2 times Low & middle income's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 5 shared years of data; in 1982 it was Low & middle income ahead.

China ranks 22nd and Low & middle income ranks 19th of 83 countries.

Across the 4 decades both report, China averaged higher in 3 and Low & middle income in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade China Low & middle income Difference Ahead
1980s 44.7% 48.1% 3.4% Low & middle income
1990s 65.0% 57.6% 7.4% China
2000s 90.6% 70.6% 20.0% China
2010s 96.7% 77.7% 19.0% China

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female, China or Low & middle income?
China, at 97.7% against 79.9% in Low & middle income as of 2018.
What is the difference in literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female between China and Low & middle income?
17.8%, with China ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and Low & middle income?
5 years are reported by both, from 1982 to 2018.
How do China and Low & middle income rank globally for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female?
China ranks 22nd and Low & middle income ranks 19th of 83 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China vs Low & middle income: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/literacy-rate-population-25-64-years-female-percent/china/low-and-middle-income/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
122 places, 2,216 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Percentage of the female 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 female literates aged 25-64 years by the corresponding age group population and multiplying the result by 100.