Cambodia vs South Korea: Adult literacy

Adult literacy: 71.9% in Cambodia in 2021 and 98% in South Korea in 2008, by UNESCO estimates. In 2008 the value was higher in South Korea, by 21.1 percentage points, or 1.27 times that in Cambodia.

Watch it change on the map

% of adults · UNESCO

CambodiaSouth KoreaWorld

What the numbers say

South Korea has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2008.
The world as a whole: 83.5% in 2008.

Every year

% of adults · UNESCO

Year	Cambodia	South Korea	World
2024	–	–	87.7
2023	–	–	87.6
2022	–	–	87.4
2021	71.9	–	87.2
2020	82.6	–	87
2019	87.7	–	86.8
2018	–	–	86.8
2017	–	–	86.5
2016	–	–	86.3
2015	80.5	–	86
2014	78.1	–	85.6
2013	79.7	–	85.2
2012	–	–	84.9
2011	–	–	84.7
2010	–	–	84.4
2009	76.1	–	83.8
2008	76.9	98	83.5
2007	–	–	83.1
2006	–	–	82.5
2005	–	–	82.6
2004	73.6	–	82.6
2003	–	–	82.2
2002	–	–	81.7
2001	–	–	81.4
2000	–	–	81.1
1999	–	–	80.9
1998	67.3	–	80.5
1997	–	–	79.3
1996	–	–	77.3
1995	–	–	76.9
1994	–	–	76.4
1993	–	–	76
1992	–	–	75.5
1991	–	–	75.1
1990	–	–	74.6
1989	–	–	74.1
1988	–	–	73.6
1987	–	–	71.9
1986	–	–	71.3
1985	–	–	70.7
1984	–	–	70.2
1983	–	–	69.5
1982	–	–	68.9
1981	–	–	68.4
1980	–	–	67.8
1979	–	–	67.2
1978	–	–	66.5
1977	–	–	65.9
1976	–	–	65.6
1975	–	–	65.4

Each country on its own

Good to know

The share of people aged 15 and over who can read and write a short, simple statement about their everyday life.
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics, via the World Bank.
The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time

Cambodia vs South Korea: Adult literacy

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

Good to know

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