Literate and illiterate world population in China
China: Literate and illiterate world population was 3.3% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Literate and illiterate world population in China, 1950–2020
Source: UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, literate and illiterate world population in China stood at 3.3%. That is the lowest value across all 6 years on record.
That represents a change of down 33.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literate and illiterate world population in China peaked at 52.5% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 3.3%, in 2020.
That places China 90th out of 128 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 52.5% | 52.5% | 52.5% | 1 |
| 1980s | 34.5% | 34.5% | 34.5% | 1 |
| 1990s | 22.2% | 22.2% | 22.2% | 1 |
| 2000s | 9.1% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 1 |
| 2010s | 4.9% | 4.9% | 4.9% | 1 |
| 2020s | 3.3% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 1 |
Countries ranked near China
More population data for China
- Population growth rate -0.2% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literate and illiterate world population in China?
- Literate and illiterate world population in China was 3.3% in 2020, according to UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest literate and illiterate world population recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 52.5% in 1950.
- What is the lowest literate and illiterate world population recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.3% in 2020.
- How does China rank for literate and illiterate world population?
- China ranks 90th out of 128 countries with data for 2020.
- Is literate and illiterate world population rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 33.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Literate and illiterate world population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 6 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of adults who cannot read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life.