China vs Singapore
China vs Singapore: Adult literacy
Adult literacy: 96.7% in China in 2020 and 97.7% in Singapore in 2021, by UNESCO estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Singapore, by 0.4 percentage points, or 1 times that in China.
% of adults · UNESCO
What the numbers say
- Singapore has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1990.
- The world as a whole: 87% in 2020.
Every year
% of adults · UNESCO
| Year | China | Singapore | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | – | – | 87.7 |
| 2023 | – | – | 87.6 |
| 2022 | – | – | 87.4 |
| 2021 | – | 97.7 | 87.2 |
| 2020 | 96.7 | 97.1 | 87 |
| 2019 | – | 97.5 | 86.8 |
| 2018 | – | 97.3 | 86.8 |
| 2017 | – | 97.2 | 86.5 |
| 2016 | – | 97.1 | 86.3 |
| 2015 | – | 96.8 | 86 |
| 2014 | – | 96.7 | 85.6 |
| 2013 | – | 96.6 | 85.2 |
| 2012 | – | 96.4 | 84.9 |
| 2011 | – | 96.2 | 84.7 |
| 2010 | 95.1 | 95.9 | 84.4 |
| 2009 | – | – | 83.8 |
| 2008 | – | – | 83.5 |
| 2007 | – | – | 83.1 |
| 2006 | – | – | 82.5 |
| 2005 | – | – | 82.6 |
| 2004 | – | – | 82.6 |
| 2003 | – | – | 82.2 |
| 2002 | – | – | 81.7 |
| 2001 | – | – | 81.4 |
| 2000 | 90.9 | 92.6 | 81.1 |
| 1999 | – | – | 80.9 |
| 1998 | – | – | 80.5 |
| 1997 | – | – | 79.3 |
| 1996 | – | – | 77.3 |
| 1995 | – | – | 76.9 |
| 1994 | – | – | 76.4 |
| 1993 | – | – | 76 |
| 1992 | – | – | 75.5 |
| 1991 | – | – | 75.1 |
| 1990 | 77.8 | 89.1 | 74.6 |
| 1989 | – | – | 74.1 |
| 1988 | – | – | 73.6 |
| 1987 | – | – | 71.9 |
| 1986 | – | – | 71.3 |
| 1985 | – | – | 70.7 |
| 1984 | – | – | 70.2 |
| 1983 | – | – | 69.5 |
| 1982 | 65.5 | – | 68.9 |
| 1981 | – | – | 68.4 |
| 1980 | – | 82.9 | 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
China vs Singapore
Health
- Life expectancyChina: 78 years in 2023Singapore: 83.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityChina: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024Singapore: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityChina: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023Singapore: 1.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionChina: 3.31% in 2017Singapore: 3.44% in 2017
- Suicide rateChina: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Singapore: 7.3 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationChina: 1.42 billion people in 2023Singapore: 5.79 million people in 2023
- Population growthChina: -0.24% a year in 2023Singapore: 0.81% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateChina: 1 births per woman in 2023Singapore: 0.94 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationChina: 66.3% in 2025Singapore: 100% in 2025
- Median ageChina: 39.1 years in 2023Singapore: 35.1 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overChina: 14.3% in 2023Singapore: 13.1% in 2023
- Net migration rateChina: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023Singapore: 4.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingChina: 1.73% of GDP in 2025Singapore: 3.05% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsChina: $335B in 2025Singapore: $16.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personChina: $237 in 2025Singapore: $2,980 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingChina: 5.1% of government spending in 2025Singapore: 18% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelChina: 2.54 million people in 2020Singapore: 59,000 people in 2020
- National powerChina: 23.41% of world capability in 2022Singapore: 0.25% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersChina: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020Singapore: 1.72% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsChina: 207 million TIV in 2025Singapore: 57 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsChina: 880 million TIV in 2025Singapore: 79 million TIV in 2025