Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in China (People’s Republic of)

China (People’s Republic of): Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male was 99.1% in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
99.1%
World rank
12th
of 83 countries
All-time high
99.1%
in 2018
All-time low
77.8%
in 1982
Years of data
5
1982–2018

Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in China (People’s Republic of), 1982–2018

0204060801001982200020181982: 77.8 %1990: 86.8 %2000: 96.9 %2010: 98.5 %2018: 99.1 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

China (People’s Republic of) recorded 99.1% for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in 2018. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.

That represents a change of up 0.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in China (People’s Republic of) peaked at 99.1% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 77.8%, in 1982.

That places China (People’s Republic of) 12th out of 83 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 77.8% 77.8% 77.8% 1
1990s 86.8% 86.8% 86.8% 1
2000s 96.9% 96.9% 96.9% 1
2010s 98.8% 98.5% 99.1% 2

Countries ranked near China (People’s Republic of)

  1. 9 Türkiye, Republic of 99.3% compare
  2. 10 Singapore 99.3% compare
  3. 11 Albania 99.2% compare
  4. 13 Bahrain, Kingdom of 99.0% compare
  5. 14 Argentina 99.0% compare
  6. 15 Palestine 98.9% compare

See the full ranking of 122 places →

More reference data data for China (People’s Republic of)

All data for China (People’s Republic of) →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in China (People’s Republic of)?
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in China (People’s Republic of) was 99.1% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male recorded in China (People’s Republic of)?
The highest recorded value was 99.1% in 2018.
What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male recorded in China (People’s Republic of)?
The lowest recorded value was 77.8% in 1982.
How does China (People’s Republic of) rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male?
China (People’s Republic of) ranks 12th out of 83 countries with data for 2018.
Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male rising or falling in China (People’s Republic of)?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this China (People’s Republic of) data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, male in China (People’s Republic of). Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 18 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-population-25-64-years-male-percent/china/

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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.