The statistic shows the degree of adult literacy in China from 1982 to 2020. In 2020, the literacy rate, which is defined as people aged 15 and above who can read and write, had reached about 97.15 percent in China.

Global literacy rates

By 2020, around 86.8 percent of the world population aged 15 years and above had been able to read and write. While in developed regions this figure ranged a lot higher, only around 67 percent of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa was literate. Countries with the lowest literacy rates are also the most underdeveloped worldwide. According to UNESCO, literacy is a human right, especially in a fast-changing and technology-driven world. In China, the literacy rate has developed from 79 percent in 1982 to 97 percent in 2020, indicating that almost one million people per year had become literate over three decades. In India, the situation was entirely different. The second most populous country in the world displayed a literacy rate of merely 76 percent in 2022.

Literacy in China

The dramatic increase in literacy in China has a lot to do with the efficacy of numerous political, economic and educational policies. In 1982, compulsory education was written into the Chinese constitution, postulating a nine-year compulsory education funded by the government. As is shown by the graph above, there was a large gender gap in literacy rate in China as of 1982. Though this gap still existed in 2020, it was narrowed down to three percent, starting from 28 percent in 1982. Since 1990, the national education policy was directed at females, especially from poor and/or minority families. Over the past years, China has achieved gender parity in primary schooling.

However, regional literacy disparities in China should not to be overlooked. Regions with a strong economic background tend to display illiteracy rates below national average. In contrast, economically underdeveloped regions have a much larger share of people who cannot read nor write. Tibet for instance, a region where 92 percent of the population belong to an ethnic minority, showed the highest illiterate rate nationwide, with around 34 percent in 2022.

This statistic shows the illiteracy rate in China in 2023, by region. Illiterate population refers to the proportion of the population aged 15 and older who are unable to read or have difficulty in reading. In 2023, the illiteracy rate in the Chinese Yunnan province had amounted to 6.14 percent. Illiteracy in China Literacy poses the basis for all other forms of education. Literacy skills are essential for the promotion of sustainable development, both in terms of economic progress and social advance. People with good literacy skills enjoy a better living standard and have better chances in the job market. In comparison with other countries in the Asia Pacific region, literacy in China is relatively high. China’s literacy rate has increased from 66 percent in 1982 to 97.2 percent in 2020. A distinctive gap between gender literacy existed as early as 1982, but gender differences in literacy had become less significant by 2020. This change had been facilitated by education reforms in China, namely mandatory free primary school education has helped to virtually eradicate illiteracy in China. As of 2017, 100 percent of primary-school-age children in China had been enrolled in school, making it one of the countries with the highest primary school enrollment rates worldwide. Regional disparities in literacy However, regional disparities in literacy rate still persist in China. Literacy in regions with a strong economic background tends to be higher than in underdeveloped regions. The literacy rate in Tibet had been at a staggering 29 percent compared with a national average of 3.4 percent in China.

Adult literacy rate of China improved by 2.11% from 95.0 % in 2010 to 97.0 % in 2020. Since the 18.18% jump in 1990, adult literacy rate shot up by 24.36% in 2020. Adult (15+) literacy rate (%). Total is the percentage of the population age 15 and above 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 literates aged 15 years and over by the corresponding age group population and multiplying the result by 100.

Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) in China was reported at 96.74 % in 2020, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on November of 2025.

China: Literacy rate: The latest value from 2020 is 97 percent, an increase from 95 percent in 2010. In comparison, the world average is 86.55 percent, based on data from 33 countries. Historically, the average for China from 1982 to 2020 is 85.4 percent. The minimum value, 66 percent, was reached in 1982 while the maximum of 97 percent was recorded in 2020.

Actual value and historical data chart for China Elderly Literacy Rate Population 65 Years Both Sexes Percent

Graph and download economic data for Literacy Rate, Adult Total for China (SEADTLITRZSCHN) from 1982 to 2020 about literacy, adult, China, and rate.

Historical dataset showing China literacy rate by year from 1982 to 2020.

Macau MO: Literacy Rate: Youth Female: % of Females Aged 15-24 data was reported at 99.866 % in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 99.690 % for 2011. Macau MO: Literacy Rate: Youth Female: % of Females Aged 15-24 data is updated yearly, averaging 99.700 % from Dec 1981 (Median) to 2016, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 99.866 % in 2016 and a record low of 94.205 % in 1981. Macau MO: Literacy Rate: Youth Female: % of Females Aged 15-24 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Macau – Table MO.World Bank: Education Statistics. Youth literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15-24 who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

Yearly (annual) dataset of the China Adult Literacy Rate, including historical data, latest releases, and long-term trends from 1982-12-31 to 2020-12-31. Available for free download in CSV format.

According to the survey on Chinese reading habits conducted between October 2023 and February 2024, respondents aged above 18 years read, on average, **** books, an increase from **** books in the previous year. Children and teens generally read more books than adults in the survey.

In 2024, the booking reading rate of Chinese children and adolescents reached **** percent on average, of which those aged nine to thirteen years made books their best friends with a **** percent rate of reading within the cohort. Overall, Chinese kids and teens read an average of ***** books in 2024.

Macau MO: Literacy Rate: Adult: % of People Aged 15 and Above data was reported at 96.538 % in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 95.640 % for 2011. Macau MO: Literacy Rate: Adult: % of People Aged 15 and Above data is updated yearly, averaging 93.500 % from Dec 1981 (Median) to 2016, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 96.538 % in 2016 and a record low of 90.378 % in 1981. Macau MO: Literacy Rate: Adult: % of People Aged 15 and Above data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Macau – Table MO.World Bank: Education Statistics. Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

Macau MO: Literacy Rate: Adult Male: % of Males Aged 15 and Above data was reported at 98.186 % in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 97.751 % for 2011. Macau MO: Literacy Rate: Adult Male: % of Males Aged 15 and Above data is updated yearly, averaging 96.470 % from Dec 1981 (Median) to 2016, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 98.186 % in 2016 and a record low of 92.810 % in 1981. Macau MO: Literacy Rate: Adult Male: % of Males Aged 15 and Above data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Macau – Table MO.World Bank: Education Statistics. Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

Actual value and historical data chart for China Literacy Rate Adult Male Percent Of Males Ages 15 And Above

BackgroundOral health literacy (OHL) has been recognized as a component of oral health disparities; however, the precise relationship between literacy and oral health outcomes has not been established. To explore the role of parents' OHL for their own subjective oral health, related behavior, and for the proxy assessment of their child's oral health, oral health-related behavior.MethodsSurvey data were collected from 406 parents of 4- to 7-year-old children in Beijing, China. The background characteristics, oral health assessment, oral health-related behavior, knowledge and attitudes, and diet-related questions of parents and their children were surveyed by a questionnaire. OHL was assessed with the Hong Kong Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry (HKREAL-30) Scale and a revised version that asked the respondents to indicate if they understood the words (HKREALD-30-Understand).ResultsThe HKREALD-30 responses correlated with the HKREALD-30-Understand responses. The higher the parents' HKREALD-30-Understand scores, the better they described the health of their own teeth and gums, the greater their child's diet was influenced by the protein, sugar and calories of the food, and the more positive their oral health-related attitudes were. The higher the parent's HKREALD-30 scores, the healthier they described their child's teeth and gums.ConclusionsBoth the HKREALD-30 and HKREALD-30-Understand Scores correlate with parents' self and proxy oral health-related responses. Chinese parents could understand that the word would add predictive value to the prediction of how parents' oral health literacy affects their own oral health care, children's oral health and other related aspects.

Time series data for the statistic Literacy_Rate_Adult_Total and country China. Indicator Definition:Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.

Literacy rate, youth male (% of males ages 15-24) in China was reported at 99.75 % in 2020, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - Literacy rate, youth male (% of males ages 15-24) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on November of 2025.

According to a survey on Chinese reading habits conducted annually, paper books were more popular than digital books in China. As per survey results as of **********, Chinese adult consumers read an average of about **** print books and **** e-books per person.

Macau MO: Literacy Rate: Adult Female: % of Females Aged 15 and Above data was reported at 95.033 % in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 93.732 % for 2011. Macau MO: Literacy Rate: Adult Female: % of Females Aged 15 and Above data is updated yearly, averaging 90.724 % from Dec 1981 (Median) to 2016, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 95.033 % in 2016 and a record low of 86.216 % in 1981. Macau MO: Literacy Rate: Adult Female: % of Females Aged 15 and Above data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Macau – Table MO.World Bank: Education Statistics. Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).