Literacy rate, adult female in Malaysia
Malaysia: Literacy rate, adult female was 94.7% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, adult female in Malaysia, 1980–2022
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of females ages 15 and above.
Analysis
Malaysia recorded 94.7% for literacy rate, adult female in 2022. That is the highest value across all 9 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.1% on the previous year and up 4.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult female in Malaysia peaked at 94.7% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 61.2%, in 1980.
That places Malaysia 36th out of 89 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
Literacy rate, adult female in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | % of females ages 15 and above | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 61.2% | — |
| 1991 | 77.3% | +26.2% |
| 2000 | 85.3% | +10.4% |
| 2010 | 90.8% | +6.3% |
| 2016 | 93.4% | +2.9% |
| 2017 | 93.5% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 93.5% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 93.7% | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 94.7% | +1.1% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 94.7% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 94.8%, 100% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 94.7% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 95.0%, 100% of the median. (15 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 61.2% | 61.2% | 61.2% | 1 |
| 1990s | 77.3% | 77.3% | 77.3% | 1 |
| 2000s | 85.3% | 85.3% | 85.3% | 1 |
| 2010s | 93.0% | 90.8% | 93.7% | 5 |
| 2020s | 94.7% | 94.7% | 94.7% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More gender data for Malaysia
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 7,206 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -1.39 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 30,756 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 30,756 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 1.62 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 214,187 people (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 227,793 people (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 214,543 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 228,149 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 213,108 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, adult female in Malaysia?
- Literacy rate, adult female in Malaysia was 94.7% in 2022, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, adult female recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 94.7% in 2022.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, adult female recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 61.2% in 1980.
- How does Malaysia rank for literacy rate, adult female?
- Malaysia ranks 36th out of 89 countries with data for 2022.
- Is literacy rate, adult female rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malaysia 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.