Skip to main content
HomeCountriesChina › Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above)

China: Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above)

In , China's Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) was 96.74.

That's up 1.7% from 2010, the highest value on record.

The global average for this indicator in 2020 was 89.47 .

Source: World Bank Open Data (SE.ADT.LITR.ZS) • Data as of 2020

Trend (2010–2020)

China Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) trend

Highlights

Peak
96.74
Trough
95.12
10-year change
+1.7%
+0.2% / yr

Historical Data — Last 10 Years

Year Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above)
96.7400
95.1200

About Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above)

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.

Indicator code: SE.ADT.LITR.ZSCategory: Education

Frequently asked questions

What was China's Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) in 2020?
In 2020, China's Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) was 96.74, according to World Bank Open Data.
Is China's Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) rising or falling?
China's Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) rose 1.7% from 2010 to 2020.
How does China's Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) compare to the world average?
The global average for Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) in 2020 was 89.47, so China is above the world average.
What is Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) and how is it measured?
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.
Download this data: CSV JSON

Source: World Bank Open Data (SE.ADT.LITR.ZS), CC BY 4.0.