Literacy rate, adult female in China
China: Literacy rate, adult female was 95.0% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, adult female in China, 1982–2020
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of females ages 15 and above.
Analysis
In 2020, literacy rate, adult female in China stood at 95.0%. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult female in China peaked at 95.0% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 51.1%, in 1982.
That places China 30th out of 89 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
Literacy rate, adult female in China, year by year
| Year | % of females ages 15 and above | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 51.1% | — |
| 1990 | 68.1% | +33.1% |
| 2000 | 86.5% | +27.1% |
| 2010 | 92.7% | +7.1% |
| 2020 | 95.0% | +2.5% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 95.0% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 94.8%, 1.0× the median. (34 countries reporting)
- China's 95.0% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 95.0%, 1.0× the median. (15 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 51.1% | 51.1% | 51.1% | 1 |
| 1990s | 68.1% | 68.1% | 68.1% | 1 |
| 2000s | 86.5% | 86.5% | 86.5% | 1 |
| 2010s | 92.7% | 92.7% | 92.7% | 1 |
| 2020s | 95.0% | 95.0% | 95.0% | 1 |
Countries ranked near China
More gender data for China
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 169,741 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -5.36 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 1.23 million (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 1.23 million (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 0.4481 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 4.15 million (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 4.56 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 4.18 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 4.62 million (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 4.32 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, adult female in China?
- Literacy rate, adult female in China was 95.0% in 2020, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, adult female recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 95.0% in 2020.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, adult female recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 51.1% in 1982.
- How does China rank for literacy rate, adult female?
- China ranks 30th out of 89 countries with data for 2020.
- Is literacy rate, adult female rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Literacy rate, adult female (% of females ages 15 and above). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
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.