Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Malaysia

Malaysia: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes was 91.3% in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
91.3%
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
13th
of 38 countries
All-time high
91.3%
in 2018
All-time low
76.2%
in 1991
Years of data
6
1991–2018

Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Malaysia, 1991–2018

0204060801001991200420181991: 76.2 %2000: 81.6 %2010: 89.1 %2016: 91 %2017: 91.1 %2018: 91.3 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2018, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Malaysia stood at 91.3%. That is the highest value across all 6 years on record.

That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and up 2.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Malaysia peaked at 91.3% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 76.2%, in 1991.

That places Malaysia 13th out of 38 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.

Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Malaysia, year by year

Annual values for Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes (%) in Malaysia, 1991 to 2018.
Year % Change
1991 76.2%
2000 81.6% +7.1%
2010 89.1% +9.2%
2016 91.0% +2.1%
2017 91.1% +0.1%
2018 91.3% +0.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 76.2% 76.2% 76.2% 1
2000s 81.6% 81.6% 81.6% 1
2010s 90.6% 89.1% 91.3% 4

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 10 Thailand 92.0% compare
  2. 11 Türkiye 91.8% compare
  3. 12 Chile 91.7% compare
  4. 14 Sri Lanka 91.2% compare
  5. 15 Paraguay 90.6% compare
  6. 16 Mexico 89.3% compare

See the full ranking of 38 places →

More reference data data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Malaysia?
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Malaysia was 91.3% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes recorded in Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 91.3% in 2018.
What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 76.2% in 1991.
How does Malaysia rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes?
Malaysia ranks 13th out of 38 countries with data for 2018.
Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is up 2.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Malaysia data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Malaysia. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 09 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/adult-literacy-rate-population-15-years-rural-both-sexes-percent/malaysia/

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About this data

Indicator
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
38 places, 341 data points, 1976–2019
Last refreshed

Total number of adults in rural areas over age 15 who cannot both read and write with understanding a short simple statement on their everyday life. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute of Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/