Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)

East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income): Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female was 96.5% in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
96.5%
Change on year
up 0.3%
Rank
6th
of 39 groups
All-time high
96.5%
in 2019
All-time low
42.2%
in 1976
Years of data
44
1976–2019

Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income), 1976–2019

0204060801001976199720191976: 42.2 %1977: 42.4 %1978: 44 %1979: 45.7 %1980: 46.5 %1981: 48.6 %1982: 51.9 %1983: 51.8 %1984: 53.4 %1985: 55 %1986: 56.5 %1987: 58 %1988: 65.8 %1989: 67.5 %1990: 69 %1991: 70.5 %1992: 71.9 %1993: 73.3 %1994: 74.8 %1995: 76.2 %1996: 77.4 %1997: 86.1 %1998: 87 %1999: 87.8 %2000: 89.6 %2001: 89.5 %2002: 90.2 %2003: 90.9 %2004: 91.6 %2005: 92.2 %2006: 92.6 %2007: 93.5 %2008: 94 %2009: 94.4 %2010: 94.7 %2011: 94.3 %2012: 94.6 %2013: 94.8 %2014: 95.3 %2015: 95.7 %2016: 95.9 %2017: 96.1 %2018: 96.2 %2019: 96.5 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2019, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) stood at 96.5%. That is the highest value across all 44 years on record.

The figure is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 2.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) peaked at 96.5% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 42.2%, in 1976.

East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) ranks 6th of 39 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 44 years of available data.

Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income), year by year

Annual values for Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%) in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income), 1976 to 2019.
Year % Change
1976 42.2%
1977 42.4% +0.5%
1978 44.0% +3.7%
1979 45.7% +3.8%
1980 46.5% +1.8%
1981 48.6% +4.6%
1982 51.9% +6.7%
1983 51.8% -0.2%
1984 53.4% +3.1%
1985 55.0% +3.1%
1986 56.5% +2.7%
1987 58.0% +2.7%
1988 65.8% +13.3%
1989 67.5% +2.6%
1990 69.0% +2.2%
1991 70.5% +2.1%
1992 71.9% +2.1%
1993 73.3% +1.9%
1994 74.8% +2.0%
1995 76.2% +1.9%
1996 77.4% +1.6%
1997 86.1% +11.2%
1998 87.0% +1.1%
1999 87.8% +0.9%
2000 89.6% +2.0%
2001 89.5% -0.1%
2002 90.2% +0.8%
2003 90.9% +0.7%
2004 91.6% +0.7%
2005 92.2% +0.7%
2006 92.6% +0.4%
2007 93.5% +1.0%
2008 94.0% +0.5%
2009 94.4% +0.4%
2010 94.7% +0.3%
2011 94.3% -0.4%
2012 94.6% +0.3%
2013 94.8% +0.2%
2014 95.3% +0.6%
2015 95.7% +0.4%
2016 95.9% +0.2%
2017 96.1% +0.3%
2018 96.2% +0.1%
2019 96.5% +0.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 43.6% 42.2% 45.7% 4
1980s 55.5% 46.5% 67.5% 10
1990s 77.4% 69.0% 87.8% 10
2000s 91.8% 89.5% 94.4% 10
2010s 95.4% 94.3% 96.5% 10

Countries ranked near East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)

  1. 3 Kazakhstan 99.7% compare
  2. 4 Barbados 99.7% compare
  3. 5 Republic of Moldova 99.7% compare
  4. 6 Tonga 99.5% compare
  5. 7 Argentina 99.4% compare
  6. 8 Spain 99.3% compare
  7. 9 Uruguay 99.2% compare

See the full ranking of 122 places →

More reference data data for East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)

All data for East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)?
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) was 96.5% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)?
The highest recorded value was 96.5% in 2019.
What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)?
The lowest recorded value was 42.2% in 1976.
How does East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female?
East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) ranks 6th out of 39 groups with data for 2019.
Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female rising or falling in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)?
Over the last ten years it is up 2.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income). Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 09 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-population-25-64-years-female-percent/east-asia-and-pacific-excluding-high-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.