China vs South Korea: Adult literacy

Adult literacy: 96.7% in China in 2020 and 98% in South Korea in 2008, by UNESCO estimates.

% of adults · UNESCO

ChinaSouth KoreaWorld

Every year

% of adults · UNESCO

Year	China	South Korea	World
2024	–	–	87.7
2023	–	–	87.6
2022	–	–	87.4
2021	–	–	87.2
2020	96.7	–	87
2019	–	–	86.8
2018	–	–	86.8
2017	–	–	86.5
2016	–	–	86.3
2015	–	–	86
2014	–	–	85.6
2013	–	–	85.2
2012	–	–	84.9
2011	–	–	84.7
2010	95.1	–	84.4
2009	–	–	83.8
2008	–	98	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	–	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	–	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	–	–	67.8
1979	–	–	67.2
1978	–	–	66.5
1977	–	–	65.9
1976	–	–	65.6
1975	–	–	65.4

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