China vs Upper middle income: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male

China
99.1%
in 2018
Upper middle income
97.6%
in 2019
China rank
12th
Upper middle income rank
9th

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

  • China
  • Upper middle income
020406080100197619972019

How they compare

China currently reports 99.1% against 97.6% in Upper middle income, a difference of 1.5%.

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

China ranks 12th and Upper middle income ranks 9th of 83 countries.

Across the 4 decades both report, China averaged higher in 2 and Upper middle income in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade China Upper middle income Difference Ahead
1980s 77.8% 81.4% 3.6% Upper middle income
1990s 86.8% 87.9% 1.1% Upper middle income
2000s 96.9% 95.1% 1.8% China
2010s 98.8% 97.2% 1.6% China

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male, China or Upper middle income?
China, at 99.1% against 97.6% in Upper middle income as of 2018.
What is the difference in literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male between China and Upper middle income?
1.5%, with China ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and Upper middle income?
5 years are reported by both, from 1982 to 2018.
How do China and Upper middle income rank globally for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male?
China ranks 12th and Upper middle income ranks 9th of 83 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China vs Upper middle income: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/literacy-rate-population-25-64-years-male-percent/china/upper-middle-income/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
122 places, 2,219 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

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