Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Malaysia

Malaysia: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female was 96.0% in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
96.0%
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
28th
of 83 countries
All-time high
96.0%
in 2018
All-time low
51.6%
in 1980
Years of data
7
1980–2018

Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Malaysia, 1980–2018

0204060801001980199920181980: 51.6 %1991: 74.9 %2000: 85.5 %2010: 92.8 %2016: 95.4 %2017: 95.9 %2018: 96 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Malaysia is 96.0%, measured in 2018. That is the highest value across all 7 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 3.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Malaysia peaked at 96.0% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 51.6%, in 1980.

That places Malaysia 28th out of 83 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 51.6% 51.6% 51.6% 1
1990s 74.9% 74.9% 74.9% 1
2000s 85.5% 85.5% 85.5% 1
2010s 95.0% 92.8% 96.0% 4

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 25 Colombia 96.3% compare
  2. 26 Bahrain 96.2% compare
  3. 27 Palestine 96.0% compare
  4. 29 Mexico 96.0% compare
  5. 30 Türkiye 95.9% compare
  6. 31 Kuwait 95.8% compare

See the full ranking of 122 places →

More reference data data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Malaysia?
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Malaysia was 96.0% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 96.0% in 2018.
What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 51.6% in 1980.
How does Malaysia rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female?
Malaysia ranks 28th out of 83 countries with data for 2018.
Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is up 3.4%. 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 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 Malaysia. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 17 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-population-25-64-years-female-percent/malaysia/

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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.