China vs Iran
China vs Iran: Adult literacy
Adult literacy: 96.7% in China in 2020 and 88.9% in Iran in 2023, by UNESCO estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in China, by 8.8 percentage points, or 1.1 times that in Iran.
% of adults · UNESCO
What the numbers say
- China has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2010.
- The world as a whole: 87% in 2020.
Every year
% of adults · UNESCO
| Year | China | Iran | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | – | – | 87.7 |
| 2023 | – | 88.9 | 87.6 |
| 2022 | – | 88.6 | 87.4 |
| 2021 | – | 88.5 | 87.2 |
| 2020 | 96.7 | 87.9 | 87 |
| 2019 | – | 87.4 | 86.8 |
| 2018 | – | 86.9 | 86.8 |
| 2017 | – | 86 | 86.5 |
| 2016 | – | 85.5 | 86.3 |
| 2015 | – | 85.3 | 86 |
| 2014 | – | 84.7 | 85.6 |
| 2013 | – | 84.6 | 85.2 |
| 2012 | – | 83.6 | 84.9 |
| 2011 | – | 83.5 | 84.7 |
| 2010 | 95.1 | 83.7 | 84.4 |
| 2009 | – | 83.2 | 83.8 |
| 2008 | – | 83 | 83.5 |
| 2007 | – | – | 83.1 |
| 2006 | – | 82.3 | 82.5 |
| 2005 | – | 82.4 | 82.6 |
| 2004 | – | – | 82.6 |
| 2003 | – | – | 82.2 |
| 2002 | – | 77 | 81.7 |
| 2001 | – | – | 81.4 |
| 2000 | 90.9 | – | 81.1 |
| 1999 | – | – | 80.9 |
| 1998 | – | – | 80.5 |
| 1997 | – | – | 79.3 |
| 1996 | – | 73.1 | 77.3 |
| 1995 | – | – | 76.9 |
| 1994 | – | – | 76.4 |
| 1993 | – | – | 76 |
| 1992 | – | – | 75.5 |
| 1991 | – | 65.5 | 75.1 |
| 1990 | 77.8 | – | 74.6 |
| 1989 | – | – | 74.1 |
| 1988 | – | – | 73.6 |
| 1987 | – | – | 71.9 |
| 1986 | – | 52.3 | 71.3 |
| 1985 | – | – | 70.7 |
| 1984 | – | – | 70.2 |
| 1983 | – | – | 69.5 |
| 1982 | 65.5 | – | 68.9 |
| 1981 | – | – | 68.4 |
| 1980 | – | – | 67.8 |
| 1979 | – | – | 67.2 |
| 1978 | – | – | 66.5 |
| 1977 | – | – | 65.9 |
| 1976 | – | 36.5 | 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
China vs Iran
Health
- Life expectancyChina: 78 years in 2023Iran: 77.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityChina: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024Iran: 1.1 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityChina: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023Iran: 9.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionChina: 3.31% in 2017Iran: 5.12% in 2017
- Suicide rateChina: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Iran: 5.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationChina: 1.42 billion people in 2023Iran: 90.6 million people in 2023
- Population growthChina: -0.24% a year in 2023Iran: 1.12% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateChina: 1 births per woman in 2023Iran: 1.7 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationChina: 66.3% in 2025Iran: 77.4% in 2025
- Median ageChina: 39.1 years in 2023Iran: 32.9 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overChina: 14.3% in 2023Iran: 7.9% in 2023
- Net migration rateChina: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023Iran: 2.9 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingChina: 1.73% of GDP in 2025Iran: 2.09% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsChina: $335B in 2025Iran: $7.45B in 2025
- Military spending per personChina: $237 in 2025Iran: $80 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingChina: 5.1% of government spending in 2025Iran: 11.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelChina: 2.54 million people in 2020Iran: 650,000 people in 2020
- National powerChina: 23.41% of world capability in 2022Iran: 1.64% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersChina: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020Iran: 2.35% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsChina: 207 million TIV in 2025Iran: 42 million TIV in 2024
- Arms exportsChina: 880 million TIV in 2025Iran: 80 million TIV in 2025